Jack Lee Thurston, 82, of Leroy Township, passed away Sunday, February 9, 2020.
Visitation will be from 10:30 A.M. to 12 Noon Wednesday, February 12, 2020, with service immediately following, beginning at 12 Noon, all at Calvary Baptist Church, 1625 Capital Avenue NE, Battle Creek, MI.
Burial of his urn will be at Mathers-Voyce Cemetery in Leroy Township.
Jack was born to Paul and Leona (Frazer) Thurston on September 25th, 1937 in Union City, Michigan. Jack was raised at Oliverda Lake with his sisters Joann Thurston Avery and Rita Thurston Johnson in Branch County.
Jack met the love of his life, Barbara Erk Thurston while attending Athens High School, class of 1956. They married on October 27, 1956, and raised three daughters, Kerry (Zane) Fry, East Leroy, Kathy Wagaman, South Haven, and Lori (Randy) Nasers, Battle Creek.
The couple has lived at Graham Lake since 1957. They shared a special loving bond centered around their strong faith in Jesus Christ, and enjoyed a full and vibrant marriage together for 63 years.
In addition to his wife and three daughters, Jack leaves behind five grandchildren, Erick (Arielle) Waterbury, Brendon (Nicole) Waterbury, Melissa Nasers, Aaron (Danielle) Nasers, Dustin (Becky) Wagaman, and five great grandchildren, with a sixth on the way and his favorite Uncle and fishing buddy, Ralph Thurston.
Jack was in the Army National Guard for nine years, retired in 1995 from the Ralston Purina Company in Battle Creek after 33 years. He spent his retirement traveling with his wife throughout the Great Lakes on their boat, competing in archery tournaments, wintering in Florida, and enjoying his family.
Jack always had a project, he loved to keep everything in tip top shape and was always willing to help others with their projects. He had an amazing way of stepping away from a challenging repair and coming back with a solution to fix it. He was always thinking of how a task or duty could be designed to run smoother or more efficient.
His legacy of a strong work ethic along with his lifelong passion for hunting, fishing, swimming, ice skating and boating, has surely been passed onto his children and grandchildren.
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Paul and Leona Thurston, and sister Joann Avery.
Jack was a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Battle Creek, to which memorial donations can be made in his memory.
