Jack Eugene Harmon of Muscatine, IA passed away on January 10, 2017 at the age of 79 at Genesis Hospital in Davenport, IA, surrounded by loved ones.Jack was born on February 5, 1937 in Muscatine Iowa, the first son of John and Janette Harmon. He attended the Iowa Braille and Sight Saving School (IBSSS) through high school and attended the
University of Iowa, graduating in 1963 with a bachelors degree in Biological Science. In 1956, he married Sandra Smith and had his first daughter, Debbie, in 1958. Jack served as acting principal and taught in the Independent School District located in Montpelier, Iowa, from 1963 to 1966. He then served as the P. E. teacher of grades K-12, and as the wrestling and track coach at the IBSSS. In 1972, Jack moved to New Mexico where he was hired as Physical Education Instructor and Boys Athletic Coach at the New Mexico School for the Blind and Visually Impaired (NMSBVI). He also held the position of Director of Athletics and was a Science/Health teacher. There he met his second wife, Patricia Ullmann, whom he had a second daughter with, Jennifer, in 1977.During the 1980s, Jack served as president of the New Mexico Association of Blind Athlete's. In 1982, he obtained his masters at the University of Northern Colorado in Greeley, Colorado. He retired from the NMSBVI in 1996. Jack was a longtime Lions Club member and also district governor of District 40 South in New Mexico. He served honorably and was very active in statewide Lions Club activities.In August of 2000, Jack returned to his hometown of Muscatine, Iowa where he met his third wife, Joan Gilleland. They married in 2008 and remained together until his passing.Jack was an avid fisherman, camper, coin collector, fan of the band Air Supply, and loved telling friends and family stories of his adventures. He was a lover of animals and owned two cats, Charmin and Evie. He loved spicy New Mexico red and green chile and no hot sauce was hot enough. He worked with numerous charities including the St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and the American Diabetes Association.Those left to honor his memory include his wife, Joan Harmon of Muscatine; two daughters, Debbie Wigner of Muscatine, and Jennifer Harmon Gersbeck and husband, Chris, of New York; one grandson, Chad Bonice of Colorado Springs; one brother, Gary Harmon of Muscatine; and two sisters, Beverly Gonzalez and Vikki Cortez both of Muscatine.He was preceded in death by his parents; his first wife, Sandra Smith, second wife, Pat Ullmann; and two brothers, Larry Harmon and Ronald L. Harmon Sr., one brother, John, in infancy, and two sisters, Marcella and Virginia, also in infancy.To make a donation in his honor, please contact Lions Club International Foundation at
lcif.org.His daughter Jennifer will be holding a Celebration of Life Service for him at a later date in Alamogordo. For more information, contact her at
[email protected].
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