John Francis Terrell

John Jack Terrell, 97, of Rochester, peacefully crossed the finish line into the waiting embrace of his beloved Nancy on September 2. Jack was born on March 11, 1919 in New York City, the son of Frank and Lena Terrell (nee Francesco Tortoriello and Lena Ferrone). He and his older sister Lucille (Honey) grew up in the city. Jack graduated from New York University in 1941 with a bachelors degree in chemical engineering. While working for Kellex Corp. in New Jersey in early1943, he was transferred to Oak Ridge, Tennessee, to join the mission to beat the Germans in a tense race to create the atomic bomb. The resulting bombs dropped on Hiroshima and Nagasaki precipitously ended World War II in 1945. His work took him to a secret site in West Virginia for several months in late 1943, where he boarded with a family right across the Ohio River. There he met his beautiful bride-to-be, Nancy (Nan) Fisher. They were married in 1945 and remained together for 69 years, 5 months. n the late 1940s, Jack moved with Nan to Princeton Junction, New Jersey, when he took a job as a process engineer in an early synthetic fuels venture operated by Hydrocarbon Research, Inc. in New York City. During this time, his two children were born. They were disappointed to learn that being an engineer did not mean that he drove the train during his daily commutes to the city, nor did his work on the Manhattan Project involve putting the wicks in the bombs. In 1955, the family moved back to Oak Ridge, where John Jr. and Christine grew up and graduated high school. Jack, working for Union Carbide, held positions of increasing responsibility with the engineering division at the three Oak Ridge facilities including department head in the project and production chemical engineering departments. Not only was he respected for his engineering designs, but also for his quick wit, which garnered him master of ceremony duties at a good number of his colleagues retirement dinners. He himself retired in 1988. While his kids were growing up, Jack had many varied interests. He enjoyed being involved with his kids activities. He officiated at swim meets hosted by the Atomic City Aquatic Club while his kids were members. He was active in Boy Scout events and enjoyed taking his family hiking in the Smoky Mountains followed by loadout lunches at the Gatlinburg Pancake Pantry. He started jogging at the outdoor high school track before running was cool in about 1967. Son John said, No thanks, but daughter Chris often ran alongside. His twenty-plus years of training culminated in two gold medal finishes in the seniors division three-mile run held for all plant employees in the 1980s. Jack was a major sports fan and imbued that love into his children. The family had great fun attending major league baseball games, cheering on the football Giants and Colts on TV, and filling out Final Four brackets during March Madness. He used his green thumb to grow pot after pot of violets in his basement greenhouse for his wife Nan, who loved to decorate their home with them. He was a master at taking care of his beautiful yard where he grew luxurious grass (even in the shade), azaleas, rhododendrons, roses, and hemlocks. Every fall, he made his own mulch to nourish Nans 600 annuals for the following year. With wife Nan, he loved to play bridge and lead her around the floor at the local dance club to their favorite big band music. His prized jazz collection of 78s included such faves as Ella Fitzgerald, Teddy Wilson, Count Basie, and Erroll Garner. After moving to Rochester with Nan in 2001 to be closer to their daughter, Jack learned to surf the Internet at age 82 and also took advantage of his newly found free time (no yard work yay!) to feed his desire to read, particularly non-fiction. He also became a fabulous bread baker. He made at least ten or twelve different kinds, and like a true engineer, his recipe book consisted of a single spreadsheet with all the ingredients listing appropriate amounts in appropriate cells. Another of Jacks superb creations was granola, a design he perfected. Most recently, he reveled in weekly trips to the Dairy Queen with daughter Chris for turtle pecan cluster Blizzards. In addition to his parents, Frank and Lena, and sister Lucille, he is preceded in death by his first daughter, Christine Jane, who died at the age of three days, and his wife Nancy, who died in November 2014. He is survived by son John Jr. (Jane) of Sevierville, TN; daughter Christine Lynn (Jean) of Rochester, MN; granddaughters Katie Terrell and Jamie (Valentine) Johns; great-granddaughters, Mila (age 2-1/2) and Lydia (expected in December) Johns; and many Italian cousins. If you ask Jacks kids what their fathers greatest accomplishments were, they would acknowledge his engineering endeavors, but more importantly, they would cite first his and wife Nans amazing ability to compromise, which led to nearly 70 years of blissful togetherness and constant stability for John and Chris; and secondly, everything their father did to teach them about how to negotiate the difficult terrain of life. Thank you, Dad, for those priceless gifts. Jack had a smile that could light up a room. That glow will be greatly missed, but we are all so much better for having had Jack Terrell in our lives for so long. We are comforted by the hope that he is finally romping through the meadows together with Nan, the love of his life. The family wishes to thank the staff of Arbor Terrace and Samaritan Bethany for their loving care the past two-and-a-half years and also Dr. Juan Bowen for his astute medical knowledge and caring attention for so many years. A memorial service will be held in the chapel at Samaritan Bethany Home on Eighth in Rochester, MN. Date and time are pending. Ranfranz and Vine Funeral Homes, 5421 Royal Place N.W, Rochester, MN 55901, 507-289-3600