Monday, June 12, 2017
I was sitting here this evening reminiscing about old Jack and wondering whether he was living yet. The last couple of times Jack called me (longer ago than I now know it to be) he was ill and therefore led me to google him. I'm sorry to finally get back to thinking about him so late. I will say as a young Mine Superintendent and later having overall site accountability, Jack was my eyes and ears for the health and safety of workers working underground. Jack always had unrestricted access to my office and if he indicated he needed to speak with me urgently I generally put everything aside. Jack understood he toured the mine with my full authority and he never abused it once. He was the only health and safety rep I recall who carried a miner's wrench and attended to any problem he could while helping to keep the mine safe. Though I've thanked him plenty for that in the past it would have been nice to the hank him at least once more. I hope Jack's family was as proud of him as I was. He and his sidekick Moses Shepard were a formidable duo. Two very fine men.
