Everyone knew him as Jack, but he was born John Joseph Shurtleff in Boardman, Mahoning County, Ohio on September 24, 1927, and died on February 14, 2017, in Southlake, Texas.

He was preceded in death by his parents Harvey and Marion Ludt Shurtleff and his first wife Dawna Lutz Knight, whom he married in

He is survived by his wife Fran and his sons, John Mark Shurtleff and wife Theresa, David Joel Shurtleff and wife Teresa, his grandchildren, Leslie Shurtleff, Adam Shurtleff and his children Aiden, William, and Archie, Anna Shearn and her husband Chad, Christopher; and Caroline, his stepchildren Alison White Starr and husband Jim, Stuart White and wife Elaine and their children Matthew, Makenna, Morgan, Michael, and Mason, Carl White and wife Kimberly and their children Joshua, Julia, Meredith, and Sarah.

Jack served in the Navy at the end of World War II, and graduated from Ohio State University with a degree in Industrial Management. He worked at Packard Electric in Ohio for a time, but found it too limiting and decided to head west. He moved to Houston where he traveled several states selling industrial products. When he married Dawna, they moved to Tulsa, and he started John Shurtleff Company, now Allesco. Eventually he had offices in several cities. He and Dawna were very active in the Methodist Church and took part in Lay Witness Mission trips to many places. She died in 1986. In 1987 he married Fran Robertson White, and in 1996 he and Fran moved to Corinth, Texas. He soon retired from his company. But he never retired from serving others and became a volunteer, first at Meals on Wheels, then at the Texas Work Force, then at Denton Senior Care, and finally at the NCTC campus in Corinth. He was active in the Bible Study Fellowship for several years. He attended Denton Bible Church for fourteen years. He never knew a stranger and made friends everywhere he went.

Visitation at DeBerry Funeral Home in Denton will be at 10:00 A.M. on Saturday, February 18, 2017, with a memorial service following at 11:00 A.M. Burial will be at Memorial Park Cemetery in Muskogee, Oklahoma, on Monday at 12:00 P.M., with a short graveside service there.

In lieu of flowers please make donations to Denton Bible Church or The Alzheimer's Association.