The Record Newspapers - Hometown News For Orange County, Texas

William J. “Jack” Gage, 93, of Orange, passed away Sunday, Dec. 29, in Orange.

A memorial service will be at 2:00, Friday Jan. 3, at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, with inurnment to follow at the church. There will be a gathering of family and friends beginning at 1:30 until service time.

Born in Mill Hill, England on March 18, 1920, William was the son of David Malcolm and Olive Grace (Pyne) Gage. In 1926, “Jack” and his family immigrated to America on a freighter coming into New Orleans. During the voyage, they celebrated his sixth birthday and the captain of the ship made him a wooden toy. He graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School and later served in the United States Army Signal Corps.

He briefly worked for KFDM radio station and later worked and retired from DuPont where he was an instrument foreman and an instructor. He was a member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church and he was very instrumental with forming the Orange Amateur Radio Relay League many years ago which he was also a member of. He loved talking with people around the world over the radio and he held his amateur radio license “HAM license” for 75 years. He was a member of the QCWA Club of Port Arthur and Tyler. His call sign was W5ICL. He also built an award winning replica Queen Mary ship and even built their lake house on San Rayburn.

He was preceded in death by his parents, David Malcolm and Olive Grace Gage; sister and brother-in-law, Betty and George Herford; great great granddaughter, Prudence Eubanks and son-in-law, Guy Eubanks.

“Jack” is survived by his wife of 67 years, Doris (Tibbits) Gage of Orange; daughters, Dorothy Eubanks of Jewett and Carolyn Curran and husband, Glenn of Orange; and grandchildren, Marcie Acoba and husband, Vince of Howe, Kelley Long and husband, Brian of Canton, John Gayle and wife, Amanda of Conroe, Vickie Price of Bridge City and Tabitha Jarmon and husband, Chad of Coppell. He is also survived by 13 great grandchildren,three great great grandchildren; niece, Gayle Evans of Plano; nephew, Jack Byron Herford of Port Neches, and numerous cousins.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the St. Paul Episcopal Church, 1401 W Park, Orange, TX 77630.

The family would like to thank Southeast Texas Hospice, and Kay and Pearl for all their care, along with Ophelia, Joyce, Dell and Edna for their care.