May 4, 1937 – Oct. 24, 2018

Orcas Island resident Jack Titus passed away Oct. 24 after surgery and a long hospitalization. He was eighty-one years old and previously had a remarkable ability to bounce back after serious health issues.

Originally from Portland Oregon, Jack attended the University of Oregon, and later ran a successful insurance business. He had three children with his first wife Sheila; John, James and Kathryn.

He was also a stepfather to David and Patrick Scofield, sons of his second wife Mildred. Sheila and Mildred are deceased, and Jack began a 10–year marriage to Jan Koltun after his arrival on Orcas Island in 2002.

An avid outdoorsman, Jack enjoyed taking his children camping, teaching them to fish and cross country ski.

People who know Jack teased him about his near-obsession with the University of Oregon Ducks football, basketball and track and field events. Jack lived and breathed The Oregon Ducks, and his house was a virtual museum of Oregon Duck paraphernalia.

This quirky hobby led to at least one good prank that Jack loved; one January the Oregon Duck football team lost to the Texas Christian University “Horned Frogs.”

In the early morning before church service, Jack flew the University of Oregon Duck flag at half mast at Emmanuel Episcopal Church, much to the surprise of the congregation.

Jack had several boats while living on Orcas Island, his favorite was a 25-foot Albin cruiser. One summer he and an old buddy took the boat from Orcas to north of Ketchikan Alaska. The trip took seven weeks and was dangerous at times. He saw wonderful things that amazed him such as bears fishing, a giant octopus, and tribal fishing villages perched on rocky bluffs and floating buildings. It was the trip of a lifetime and an adventure he was very proud of.

In his later years, Jack loved to take his dog Binka to the dog park or sit at “The Brain Trust” table of old kibitzers – as the Island Market Deli staff called it.

He was also an avid bridge player with his companion Judy Turksel, who was often at Jack’s side during his recent illness.

Jack loved nothing more than visiting and talking with people in conversations that ranged from sports to politics to the proper way to hang a roll of toilet paper.

He was much loved and will be missed by all.

The family asks that any remembrances be donated to the Orcas Island Dog Park, one of Jack’s favorite places to visit on a sunny day: www.visitsanjuans.com/attractions/orcas-island-dog-park-oola.

Services will be held Nov. 10 at Emmanuel Episcopal Church at 1 pm. in Eastsound, Washington.