Jack Stanley Angel

One of my dad’s pat answers to, “How are you doing, Jack?,” was, “If I was any better I couldn’t stand it.” Well, today he was absolutely the 100% best and purest he ever hoped to be and couldn’t stand it anymore: he transitioned to his next life, only two months short of his 93rd birthday.

This last year has been tough for him with a long bout of Congestive Heart Failure, infections, kidney stones and, finally, a month ago, a diagnosis of leukemia. But he took it all in stride and pushed through until the end.

He was born in Michigan in 1931, joined the Navy in October 1950 and became a Sonarman. He was discharged in October 1954 and moved to South Gate, CA. He began school at Compton College for two years and then transferred to USC where he attained his Electrical Engineering degree. Upon graduation he was employed with Hughes Aircraft Company. He also worked at Autonetics, Rockwell International, and Xerox Computer Services. His last job was at Boeing as a Project Manager for the cockpit of the Endeavor space shuttle. That shuttle now stands in the Samuel Oschin Space Center at the California Science Center near downtown Los Angeles.

Kind, talented, charming, chatty, incredibly smart, he was always making things and fixing things and helping people and making everyone laugh. And he loved his wife, Theresa, more than one could imagine. He was under her spell from the moment he laid eyes on her. They met in April 1954 and married in May 1959.

Their four children (Michael Angel, Erin Angel-Inman, Charles Angel, Andrew Angel), were brought up well, and all have his artsy side and the gift of gab. He was a painter, a musician, a woodworker, and had many other hobbies. He was an elder at his church, and well-known to relatives and friends from one side of the country to the other.

He survived by his wife, four children, five grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He will be missed and will Rest in Heavenly Peace.