Irwin Leroy Jacks of Richland, WA passed away peacefully Monday July 2, 2012. Irwin, who was called Pete by his friends, was born May 8, 1921 in St. Joseph, MO. He was the older of two boys born to Howard and Mamie Irwin Jacks. He met and married his sweetheart June Eldred in 1944 in Traverse City, Michigan while stationed there in the Navy. They celebrated their 50th anniversary in 1994.

Pete and his wife moved to Richland in 1948 where Pete had a job with the Hanford Project. It was in Richland that their two children Linda and Dan were born. They were a very close family enjoying camping especially at their favorite campground - Ohanapecosh, boating, water skiing, and hunting the elusive morel mushrooms in the Blue Mountains. His family was very important to him and he loved family activities.

He worked for thirty five years on Hanford Patrol until his retirement in 1983. Pete and June then bought a motor home and spent the next 15 years traveling the continental United States, with trips to Hawaii and Europe thrown in. They enjoyed wintering in Arizona.

He served his country during World War II. He was proud to have been in the Navy and was part of the original crew of the USS Boxer-CV-21. He was proud of his country and it was important to him to put up his flag up every morning.

He loved reading and was truly a self-educated man. Anyone paired up with him in trivia games was sure to win! He was a true gentleman and a friend to everyone he met.

Pete is survived by his children, Linda Ron Francis of Bellingham, WA, Dan Diane Jacks of Richland as well as six grandchildren, Scott, Alexia Francis of Sandy, Utah, Mark Becky Francis of Seattle, WA, Christine Francis of Seattle, and Brian Carrie Jacks of Pasco, WA, Erin Lars Henrichsen of Columbus, Indiana, and Eric Claire Jacks of Richland, WA and eleven great-grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, June, brother, Eugene, and an infant daughter, Anita Louise.