Jack Rhoades Canon, the fourth of eight children, was born July 30, 1932 in Spirit Lake, Iowa to Roy and Ethel (Rhoades) Canon and passed away June 18th, 2010 at the home of his daughter, Jamie Leah, and his son-in-law, Anthony Huchko, in Sunrise, Florida, surrounded by his family at the age of 77 years.

Jack graduated from Burke High School in 1950 where he was active in football, basketball and track. He also enjoyed hunting with his father and brothers when he was a young man. Following High School, he was employed in Burke before enrolling at Southern State Teachers College for two years where he played on a conference championship football team. Jack then enlisted in the US Army for two years prior to completion of his undergraduate education in Engineering Physics, and a Masters Degree in Physics at South Dakota State University in Brookings. He was a member of Sigma Pi Sigma and Sigma Tau, honorary Engineering Physics and Engineering fraternities, respectively. He pursued his Doctoral studies in Solid State Physics at the University of Illinois in Champaign-Urbana. During the course of his education, he also held professional research positions at Boeing Aerodynamics in Seattle, WA and at the Sandia National Laboratories outside of Albuquerque, NM . After completion of his doctoral work, he continued to pursue his career as a research scientist first at Texas Instruments in both Dallas and Houston , TX and then for General Electric in Syracuse, NY and later Raleigh, NC . During his years at General Electric, he traveled extensively in both western and eastern Europe .

Jack was an avid golfer and in retirement was a certified scuba diver making multiple trips to both the Carribean and the Pacific. He also enjoyed exploring the deserts of the southwestern US and northern Mexico . Art collection and appreciation as well as reading about many diverse subjects were also of endless fascination to him during this period of his life.

Jack was united in marriage to Donna Marie Iler on June 7, 1958 in Burke. To this union, three children were born: Carey Todd, Jamie Leah, and Dawn Marie. He instilled in them the values
of life and family.

In addition to his parents, Jack was preceded in death by Donna, after 28 years of marriage on January 14, 1986. He was also preceded in death by four brothers: Charles Lee, Royce, Dick and Jay.

Jack is survived by his children: Carey Todd of Chapel Hill, NC; Jamie Leah Huchko (Anthony) and their son, Kai Vincent Huchko of Sunrise, Fl; Dawn Marie Freeman (John) and their three sons, Joseph Daniel Freeman, John Paul Freeman, and Elijah Luke Freeman of Lillington, NC; brother Max (Beverly) of Burbank, CA; sisters Shirley and Beverly of Gregory, SD as well as several nieces, nephews, relatives, and innumerable friends throughout the country.

Jack will be truly missed, lovingly remembered, and cherished by all who knew him.

Memorial services will be held on Friday, July 30, 2010 at 1:00 PM at the United Methodist Church in Burke. Inurnment will be in the Graceland Cemetery of Burke.