Jackie Darell Link, age 78, a resident of Ft. Scott, Kansas, died Sunday, March 24, 2019, at his home at Lake Ft. Scott.
He was born February 11, 1941, to Merry Grace (Maxwell) Link and Thomas E. Link of Northeast Kansas City.
At the age of fourteen he started working at the Benton View Drug Store where he met Koyle June Kern. Her mother worked with Jack. He worked at the drug store all through high school and graduated from Northeast High in 1959. While in high school he was a member of the choir and the Northeast High School ROTC program where he served as the Lt. Commander his senior year.
After high school he joined the Air Force where he served for four years and learned the technical training that got him a job at IBM in 1966. He worked for IBM for thirty years.
He married Koyle Steele on July 20, 1991, in Lincoln, Nebraska. He enjoyed coaching his sons’ little league basketball and baseball teams, and photography.
Koyle owned and operated a home day care. Jack often taught her day care children to swim. Koyle had rules, but when Jack was in charge her rules did not count. He loved children. He and Koyle moved to Lee’s Summit in 1991.
Jack was a 32nd degree Mason and joined the Shrine where he served in the patrol unit. That was where he developed his love of guns and became a sharp shooter. He was a stickler for gun safety. He won the ARRAT Shrine Temple CSSA sharp shooter championship in 2003.
He taught his five grandchildren gun safety and how to shoot and Koyle knew he had made an impression when the kids came back from going shooting with him and each one grabbed a dog and sat them down and gave them a shooting lesson.
Jack and Koyle moved to Lake Fort Scott in 2007. He loved playing cards and dominoes with his Lake Fort Scott neighbors. He joined the First United Methodist Church where he helped with Feeding Families in His Name serving drinks and continuing his soda jerk career. He enjoyed singing in the church choir.
He loved the nature and wildlife at the lake and enjoyed taking pictures. He also enjoyed traveling and seeing new places.
He is survived by sons, Scott Steele (Alison), and daughters, Krishelle Steele Sims (Brian) and Cynthia Steele; five granddaughters, Susan Lynn Steele, Rena VanDeusen, Madeline Allen (Kenny), Samantha Steele and Abigail Bennett; one grandson, Gavin Sims; two great-grandsons, Knox Allen and Nolan Rada and one great-granddaughter, Charlotte Heine; brother-in-law, James R. Kern and a host of friends, Jack and Keith Link.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 P.M. Saturday, April 13th at the First United Methodist Church in Ft. Scott, with the Rev. Steve Cole officiating.
Honorary pallbearers will be Scott Steele, Brian Sims, Christopher Gilchrist and Kenny Allen.
Memorials are suggested to the First United Methodist Church Feeding Families in His Name or the Shriner’s Children’s Hospital and may be left in care of the Cheney Witt Chapel, 201 S. Main, P.O. Box 347, Ft. Scott, KS S66701. Words of remembrance may be submitted to the online guestbook at cheneywitt.com.