Jack passed away peacefully in his sleep in the early morning hours of September 9, with his family around him. Born and raised in Staunton, VA, Jack grew up as both a voracious reader and a lover of outdoor pursuits; hunting, scrambling around the woods, and especially fishing. Jack's parents owned a rustic "camp" in the nearby countryside; a base for these adventures. Childhood escapades included fishhooks in his fingers, squirrel bites on his ears, a pet alligator, and teasing his younger brother Bob. A favorite family story is that once when Bob asked why they shot crows, Jack explained that the reason was because the "crows ate squirrel eggs" -something Bob apparently believed for quite some time. After high school, at age 16, Jack became a cadet at Virginia Polytechnic Institute. The first two years were tough; WWII had just ended, social changes were afoot, and Jack was taking classes heavily loaded in the "ologies", as he would say (physics, organic chemistry, multiple labs). He finally found his stride in his Junior year when he was able to take classes in what interested him most: trees. His love of nature translated into a passion for anything related to trees, and he graduated with a degree in forestry. One week after graduation, aged 20, he began his wood technology/forestry masters at Duke University. The Korean War began during Jack's junior year of college, and many of his buddies went off to fight. Jack was drafted after graduating in 1953 from Duke, and served stateside in an engineering unit until March 1955. Writing about this time in his life, Jack expressed that although he disliked the military, he very much appreciated the opportunities for networking it afforded. In later years, he read and studied extensively about the civil war and all 20th century war; the topic affected and interested him deeply. After leaving the military, he worked a short time for the Virginia Division of Forestry in southern Virginia, and then as a forestry consultant. In Richmond Virginia on election night 1956, Jack met Pat. He courted her for several months, but as Pat was reluctant to marry (her plan had been to join the WHO as a nurse and travel), he took a job in Idaho. His persuasive letters, along with encouragement from mutual friends and family finally won her over, and they married in May 11, 1958. Their honeymoon was the drive from Virginia to Idaho in Pat's new VW beetle. From their Lewiston home, Jack and Pat enjoyed exploring the grand wilderness in northern and central Idaho. Most weekends and vacations in summer were spent camping, berry picking, and trout fishing. Fall was for steelhead fishing and upland bird hunting. When their children were born, they simply joined in the fun! Jack worked for the Potlatch Company for many years, becoming the manager of the research department. He worked on the invention and production of several well known wood products, such as OSB (oriented strand board). While living in Lewiston, Jack was also a member in toastmasters, and later became a member of the Lewis and Clark Historical Society. In 1990, Jack and Pat moved to Port Angeles to be nearer family. They established many lovely relationships and Jack very much enjoyed participating in the Klahhane Club and the current events / political discussion group at the Senior Center. Keenly interested in history and politics on local, national, and world scales, Jack was never without an opinion, and he was a prodigious writer of letters to the local paper. Always an original thinker, never a follower, Jack respected intelligence and curiosity in others, and enjoyed challenging the status quo. He had a sparkling sense of humor, and a sweetly spiritual side, rarely shown. If he believed he was right (always), he would keep at you until you gave in or gave up. He loved his family and friends deeply, and will be missed by all who knew him well. He is survived by his wife Pat Markley, of Port Angeles, his two children Lisa Markli of Port Angeles and Scott Markley of Spokane WA, and his brother Dr. Robert Markley of Staunton VA. A celebration of life for Jack will be held at the Black Diamond Community Hall on Oct 9 at 1 pm. For anyone wishing to make a remembrance for Jack, the best possible thing would be to plant a tree.

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