Nov. 2, 1927 – July 6, 2023
Dr. Jack Adler passed away peacefully on July 6, 2023 in his beloved dome home on the McKenzie River surrounded by his wife Barbara and loving family.
Jack was born on Nov. 2, 1927 in San Pedro, Calif. to Delbert and Alice Adler. The family soon moved to Seattle where Jack grew up, went to high school and went on to attend the University of Washington where he received his undergraduate and Masters degrees.
He married Jerene Fisher in 1951. They had four children, Jim, John, Mary Ellen, and Sharon. Jack is survived by three of his children, with Sharon preceding him in death in 1989. Jack has six grandchildren and five great grandchildren.
Jack taught and coached at several schools on the west coast, finding his permanent home in Eugene in 1965, where he attended the University of Oregon and earned his doctorate. Jack taught at the UO for 25 years prior to retiring, touching the lives of many students and colleagues.
He started a new phase in his life in the 1980s. He and Jerene divorced, Jack retired and he married Barbara Ekdahl in1986. They built a geodesic dome near the McKenzie River and near a nine-hole golf course, and he spent the rest of his life pursuing and enjoying his passions, his wife, and family.
Jack was an avid golfer and was the head golf coach at the UO for six years, but his deepest sporting passion was fly-fishing. He spent countless hours fishing Oregon’s beautiful rivers, and he taught Barbara the fine art of casting. He often told her she threw the finest fly-line of any woman he had ever seen, which was a testament to his coaching.
They traveled extensively, including trips to Europe, the Azores and two trips to New Zealand, a fly-fishing mecca. They took several cruises to both the Caribbean and Alaska, and made numerous trips to Montana and Alaska, fishing for salmon on the Kenai River.
In 2007, Jack joined the Eugene Masonic Lodge #11. Jack chaired the scholarship committee for several years, receiving the Hiram Award for Devoted Service in January 2019.
In November 2020 Jack suffered two strokes. He spent the last two-and-a-half years mounting a gallant fight to recover as best he could. He lived a full and amazing life, and he will be deeply missed by all who loved him.
We would like to thank the nurses of Cascade Hospice for their dedicated and nurturing care: Mo, Jennifer, Tara, Sherry, and Heather, the social worker. There is no way we could have navigated this trying time without them.
Final arrangements are being made by Andreason’s Cremation and Burial Services in Springfield. A memorial service will be held at the Masonic Lodge on Martin Luther King Blvd. on Thursday, Sept. 21.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation in Jack’s name to the Eugene Masonic Lodge #11 Scholarship Fund, 2777 MLK Blvd. Eugene, OR 97401.
Death notices
WALTER: Kenneth C. Walter, 77, of Eugene, Ore. died away on June 28, 2023. Arrangements: Sunset Hills Funeral Home, Cemetery, and Crematorium.
SHEPHERD: Boyd “Sunny” Rex Shepherd, 66, of Cottage Grove, Ore. died on July 5, 2023. Arrangements: Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel and Crematorium.
HALL: James Gordon Hall, 82, of Cottage Grove, Ore. died on July 12, 2023. Service: Saturday, July 22 at 11 a.m. at The Church of Jesus Christ Latter-day Saints, Cottage Grove. Arrangements: Smith-Lund-Mills Funeral Chapel & Crematorium.
