Capt. Jack Hawley (nee John Garland Hawley) took off on his final flight from his home, surrounded by many of his family members and close friends, Tuesday, April 1, 2014.

Jack was born on March 25, 1934, to Charles R. and Lucille (Driver) Hawley in Cape Girardeau, Mont.

The many misadventures as a boy with big brother Chuck and baby brother Steve along the banks of the Mississippi River were woven into tales told and retold to family in hilarious detail through the years.

The Hawleys moved to Lomita, Calif., where Jack was active in sports, student government and many clubs at Narbonne High School, where graduated in 1952.

He was still in touch with friends from his class. California was the perfect spot to get enthused about surfing, water and snow-skiing, fishing, scuba-diving, boating, camping and just being outdoors.

He married junior high school-sweetheart Patricia C. Swenson on Oct. 3, 1953, after which he joined the Navy full time. Jack went back into the Naval Reserves while attending UC-Long Beach, earning a bachelor’s degree in teaching.

He coached swimming, football, track and a championship basketball team for the Navy, was a mentor at the Boys Club of America and coached at the high school where he taught in Bishop, Calif.

Between all of this, daughters Pam and Denisa came along and in 1962 he was commissioned as an officer in the USN. After flight school, he brought the family to Whidbey Island Naval Air Station, which began his lifelong love of the Pacific Northwest.

One of his favorite outdoor activities was horseback riding, and Jack enjoyed his stint with the Island County Sheriff’s Posse.

Jack loved the island and all that the area had to offer. Finally, with a boat of his own and his buddy, Trim Scribner, with whom he could fish, their families got to explore the San Juan islands; and many long summer days were spent camping their idyllic shores.

He also loved to fly, and Pat and his girls loved to see him in that green flight suit. His squadrons included first, VAH-6, flying as a BN in the A-3B Skywarrior; VA-42, where he was one of the first group of fliers of the A6-A Intruder jets; then to VA-128, serving as a flight instructor back on Whidbey; followed by two combat cruises with the “Boomers” of VA-165, in which Jack served as combat tactics officer for the A-6C aircraft.

He was a man who honored the oath he made to the country during a difficult time for the nation. In July 1972, Jack reported to Fleet Intelligence Center, Pearl Harbor, where he served as head of Security Division Intelligence. He then returned to NAS Whidbey as assistant operations officer in VA-128.

After some life changes, Jack married Marjorie Shoaf and they left for a new life and post after he joined VA-115 in Japan. Daughter Laura remembers those days fondly as the beginning of many world adventures and honors for Jack. Follow-on tours at the U.S.A.F. Air Command and Staff College and on the Joint Strategic Target Planning Staff at Offutt AFB prepared him to return to his beloved sea, this time as executive officer and then commanding officer of VA-34.

Subsequently, Jack served as chief staff officer of Medium Attack Wing ONE.

Perhaps one of his most enjoyable assignments was as U.S. naval attaché to Australia for three years in Canberra at the U.S. Embassy. He loved the land and the people and got to ride horses and herd sheep on his friend Brownies’ ranch.

His payback tour was at the Pentagon, serving in the J-3 Division of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. His final tour of active duty was in San Francisco, as chief of staff, commander Naval Base San Francisco.

Jack retired from active duty in July 1989.

Jack spent the first part of his retirement in Poulsbo, Wash., where he enjoyed his acreage and boat. He volunteered for the Coast Guard during his time there, which he loved doing. Eventually he found his way to Whidbey Island in 1998 and built a life among old friends and new, not to mention family, which, now consists of three daughters, 12 grandchildren, 13 great-grandchildren (and one on the way), beloved nieces, great-nephews and great-nieces and many honorary family members that knew him as Grandpa Jack.

Between sharing bonfires and the bunkhouse on his property with his long line of grandkids and their friends; attending their sporting activities, awards assemblies, band concerts and plays; baking brownies; road trips for moving them all to college then attending college graduations; and teaching the grandchildren work ethics, respect for property and respect for their elders, they learned to have a belief in themselves and in what they could accomplish. He went tuna fishing with Larry Mason and enjoyed going to see him and Carl Funk sing when he could; fishing and crabbing with Dick Toft and Dave Williams and the Breakfast Club with “the boys.”

Jack and Pat remarried, and their story of love and friendship, devotion and respect is one that is beautiful to their family and friends.

Although losing his battle with cancer, Jack spent this past year engaged in studies to help researchers win the war on this dreadful disease. Always selfless in his manner, he was a man of action borne from a giving heart. He had such a full life of loving and being loved.

In lieu of flowers, contributions can be made to Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center. A Celebration of Life for Jack Hawley was held at Wallin Funeral Home, Oak Harbor. Private family burial with full military honors proceded at Maple Leaf Cemetery, Oak Harbor.

Please visit Jack’s page in the Book of memories hosted by Wallin Funeral Home at www.wallinfuneralhome.com to share memories and condolences.