Obituary of Jackson Saunders Kolp

Jackson "Jack" S. Kolp passed away peacefully at his residence on February 27, 2018 at the age of 96. Born in 1921 in a farmhouse in Manilla, Iowa to James Rush Kolp and Lida Saunders Kolp, he grew up in Ida Grove, Iowa. After graduating with Honors from Grinnell College with a physics major in 1943, he immediately went into the Navy and attended Officers' Candidate Midshipman's School at Notre Dame University and was commissioned an Officer in the rank of Ensign. Jack graduated first in his class from the Electronics, Radar, and Communications Officers' Training at MIT and volunteered to serve on submarines. He picked submarines, he said, because "they would see action and always have important things to do while out-at-sea." Jack married his college sweetheart Lorraine "Shiny" Melony on April 2, 1944 in Minneapolis, Minnesota. After the war Jack elected to leave the Navy and pursue a career with Sylvania Electronics Corporation. Over his 37-year career with Sylvania, which later became GTE, Jack and his family had the opportunity to live in New York, Oklahoma, Massachusetts, California, Montreal, Canada, and Sidi bel-Abbes, Algeria. Jack was the General Manager at the Sylvania Electronics Plant in Santa Cruz from 1966 to 1971, where he formed many cherished friendships and was recognized as "one of the best bosses." Upon retiring in 1986 Jack and Lorraine made their home in Aptos. Jack enjoyed playing tennis, gardening and traveling with his wife throughout Europe and South America. Preceded in death by Lorraine, his wife of 64 years, and survived by his three sons, Terry, Peter (Teri), and Kevin (Judy); grandchildren Annika (Dean Everson), Jackson (Mie) and Jasper; and great-grandchildren Caitlyn, Kiera, Ryu and Kai. Jack's quick wit, intelligence and generous heart will live on in each of us. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 10:30 am on Friday, March 9, 2018 at Resurrection Church, 7600 Soquel Drive, Aptos.