John "Jack" Frank Pachek

John Frank Pachek was born on December 10, 1932 in Great Falls, Montana to parents Mary and Joe Pachek, both Austrians who immigrated to the United States in the early 1900’s. Jack was the youngest of four children, and spent his entire childhood in the great state of Montana. At the age of 16 Jack enlisted in the Marines. Too young to actually join up and too stubborn to wait, Jack tricked his father into signing his enlistment document by hiding it in a pile of papers to sign from school. He began his tour during the Korean War immediately following bootcamp from October 1950 - December 1951. He was an Amphibian Tractor Crewman and fought in the Battle of Chosin Reservoir. When his Commanding Officer learned that he hadn’t graduated, he insisted that Jack complete his GED. When the test arrived, at the orders of his C.O. Jack’s troupe began passing it around answering questions until it was complete. He (they) passed. He was discharged in May of 1951 as a Corporal after four years of service. When Jack got out of the service he went to work for Guy Tobacco as an apprentice carpenter, and developed his love of building that he never lost. He later went to work part time at Joe’s Place with his brother, Dick and Father, Joe. It was then that Jack met his sweetheart, Donna Knerr, and they were married in 1954. They had three daughters: Debra, Vicki, and Tamie. Jack was a smart businessman and always had irons in the fire. Dick and Jack eventually took over Joe’s Place. They went on to own multiple properties together across the state and he was always looking for his next opportunity. In 1973 Jack achieved a lifelong dream of his of owning a ranch, where he raised wheat, barley and quarter horses. Unfortunately at the age of 63 he contracted an autoimmune disease, which forced him to sell the ranch and he moved up to his house in Hardy Creek. (Otherwise known as the National Park of Pachek.) After he healed, he used his love of carpenter work to remodel the cabin into their new home. Jack loved sports, boxing, and race cars. He loved being right in the thick of it. He raced Model T’s across the state of Montana and spent many weekends driving to races across the country. It was through his love of racing that he met and befriended Evel Knievel. In the late 1980’s, he even helped sponsor Todd “the Kid” Foster, an amateur boxer. He loved watching his grandkids, nieces and nephews in all of their sports competitions as they grew. Jack was a devoted Catholic who lived his Christian values. He believed that the church was more than just a building, it was the community of people who filled it. He would often arrive before Mass to spend some time working on his latest project. He’d sing loud, tease you if you didn’t, and then stay late to take Father out to lunch. He’d curse at God as often as he prayed to Him, but you can be sure that they were thick as thieves. His rosary went with him wherever he went. Jack was an avid fisherman and he loved making friends with strangers. He was the epitome of Montana hospitality. He’d often holler at strangers passingby on the river and invite them to come ashore and into his home for lunch. He’d always pull out the best hot dogs or steaks from his freezer and insist they relax as he cooked them a meal. He’d ask how the river was today, and if they’d had any luck. He’d have very strong opinions about which bait or lures you should be using, and he’d always have just what you needed in his tackle box. He’d load you up with the right gear, some food and drinks for the road, and his phone number so that next time you were in town you could come visit. And people often did. Jack made some great friends in just that way. Jack’s grandkids spent summers with him in Montana where he taught them how to search for bear and deer with the binoculars, ride horses, race anything with wheels, how to fish, how to cook, how to work hard, and how to love. He loved watching the Fastest Indian, playing cribbage or dominos, putting them to work outside, having them pick up change from the basement floor of the bar (which he didn’t tell them he threw there so they would stay busy), and spoiling them the way that only a Grandpa could. He loved them fiercely. Jack and Donna loved traveling in their motorhome between Montana and their home in Glendale, Arizona, to visit their grandkids across the U.S., and to frequent the race tracks. Donna was diagnosed with Alzheimer’s Disease and he committed his life to Donna’s care until she had to go into assisted living several years later. He visited her daily until her passing in 2007. He had a loud bark, and a nasty bite but was the first to cry when anything good or bad happened. He was a wild bear one second and a teddy bear the next. He loved to push the limits of those around him, and they pushed right back. And in that way, they made each other better. He was sassy and silly, practical and serious, level-headed and over the top all at the same time. Jack lived fully until the day he died. He was still thinking up his next venture, and the week before his passing he was thinking about raising chickens because fryer chickens were getting too hard to find nearby. The day he passed, a close friend sat and prayed with him as he slept. Jack passed peacefully in his sleep on December 16, 2017 in the comfort of his bed, in his cabin by the Missouri River. In true Jack Pachek fashion, he went in his own time, and on his own terms. He is survived by his three daughters and their families (Debra Pachek; Vicki and Robert Stubbs, Amanda and Spencer Mosness and their two daughters Liv and Leina, and Kelli and James Lewis and their daughters Emelia and Sophia; Tamie Pachek, her children Kimbre and Nate Lancaster), his brother, friend and business partner, Richard Pachek, and many cousins, nieces and nephews.