John Jacob 'Jack' Gambold Jr.

Friday, December 12, 2014

John Jacob "Jack" Gambold Jr., 91, passed away Friday morning, Dec. 12, 2014 at his daughter's residence in West Lafayette.

He was a former resident of Bean Blossom in Brown County and Coatesville of Hendricks County.

John was born in Indianapolis on Aug. 10, 1923, to his parents, the late John Jacob and Grace (Fordyce) Gambold Sr.

He was a 1941 graduate of Amo High School in Hendricks County and earned the rank of Eagle Scout that same year.

Jack went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in mechanical engineering from Purdue University in June 1944. He then went on to serve his country as a private with the United States Army Ordnance Department, where he helped Dr. Wernher Von Braun and his team of captured German V-2 rocket scientists set up the U.S. rocket programs at El Paso, Texas, and White Sands, N.M., at the close of World War II. This program resulted in the creation of Titan, Atlas and Gemini rockets and space capsule hardware.

Jack worked from 1944 until 1962 with Allison Division GMC in reciprocating and jet engine development.

He was elected clerk of the Hendricks County Circuit Court by the Republican Party in 1963, becoming the first elected candidate to serve as clerk of the newly constituted Superior Court. During Jack's time as clerk, he was instrumental in forming the County Records Commission and served as the president of the State Association of Clerks. Jack also served three terms as chairman of their Legislative Committee and two terms on the Clerks' Advisory Committee to the State Election Board.

Jack worked from 1975 until 1982 for the Indiana Department of Environmental Management as a sanitary engineer, helping municipal water systems and individuals to apply the guidelines of the Safe Drinking Water Act. After his retirement in 1982, Jack served as a field engineer for the Indiana Rural Water Association for 21 years.

He was also a founding member and past president of the Hendricks County Historical Society, past master of the Coatesville Masonic Lodge 542, and past patron of the Order of Eastern Star.

Jack was a licensed hot air balloon pilot and a commercial pilot with glider rating and enjoyed farming. He was an avid reader of history, especially the Civil War era and had a passion for tracing his ancestry, which meant going to courthouses and cemeteries to find birth and death records. Jack traveled to Wales twice to honor different ancestors by dedicating plaques in their honor at the churches they served as clergy.

Jack is survived by his first wife, Beulah (Farbach) Gambold of Indianapolis, whom he married on Nov. 17, 1953 in Coatesville. Together they raised three children, John (Lucila) Gambold III of Milton, Fla., Vinny (Jerry) Price of Coatesville, and Sharron (Scott) McAfee of West Lafayette.

He later married Marilyn Taylor (Thomas) Gambold on Dec. 14, 1991 in Hope. She preceded him in death on Sept. 15, 2003.

Jack will be remembered by his 11 grandchildren, five great-grandchildren and two stepchildren, Carol Skirvin of Nashville and Robert T. (Nicola) Thomas of Bloomington.

He was preceded in death by an infant son, James Christian Gambold, and a stepdaughter, Susan Slaughterbeck.

Pastor Darrell Miller will conduct a funeral service at 1 p.m. Monday, Dec. 15 at Meredith-Clark Funeral Home Cremation and Personalization Center, 179 E. Mulberry St., Morgantown.

Friends may call from 11 a.m. Monday until service time at the funeral home. A graveside service with full military rites will follow at 3 p.m. at the Hope Moravian Cemetery in Hope.

Memorial contributions may be sent in honor of Jack to the Morgantown Senior Center, P.O. Box 542, Morgantown, IN 46160.

Condolences may be sent to the Gambold family at www.meredith-clark.com.