Birth: 1933 Death: 2024 Jack Willis Elder was born April 18, 1933, to Richard & Gladys Elder in England, Arkansas. His father was killed in an automobile accident in 1939. Jack had two older brothers, Oris Lee and Chuck and a younger brother, Jim.
When his mother remarried in 1942, the family moved to South Haven, Michigan. Jack, 91, peacefully passed away at home on June 15, 2024, with Judy, his wife of 58 years, and family by his side. In late 1945, the family moved to Los Angeles, California.
He served in the United States Coast Guard from 1951 to 1954. He received his BA and MA in Education in 1959 from Long Beach State College. In 1966, he married fellow teacher, Judy Walker Elder.
Jack became the first men’s gymnastics’ coach at Wilson High School in Long Beach, California, creating the program in 1959 and coaching until 1980. Jack’s team won three (3) CIF Championships and in 1977 had the US #1 high school gymnastics team. Jack was awarded the California Coaches Association’s High School Coach of the Year in 1978.
Jack retired from coaching in 1980 to work full time on his 2nd career, real estate investments. He and Judy were very blessed with extensive travels all over the world, a loving family and a beautiful condo in Hawaii. In addition to his loving wife, Judy, Jack leaves behind a son, a daughter, a stepson, grandchildren, three (3) great-granddaughters, numerous nephews and neices and event on (1) great-great-grandnephew.
He truly was blessed. His interm.
