James Philip Zack graced this earth for 78 years. He was born in Mineral City, Ohio, Nov. 2, 1941, the son of the late Joseph and Eleanor (Mansfield) Zack. He left his earthly body in Pensacola, Fla., Jan. 3, 2020.
His older brother and best friend, Duane, died in 2007. Younger brother, Neil, died in 2016. Grandson Ethan died in 2017.
Phil’s parents were both educators and after graduation from Midvale High School in 1959, Phil earned his education degree at Ohio Northern University. Phil began his 34-year teaching career in Waynesfield. There, he joined Wayne Lodge 569 F& AM, and became their youngest Master Mason. Students arranged for him to meet Nancy Shaffer. They were married in 1964 and settled in Huntsville.
Phil then started the Industrial Arts shop at Bellefontaine Middle School. Besides teaching, Phil also owned the Huntsville Shooter Supply. Phil and Nancy had two sons, Keith (Angela), and Greg (Lori). When Nancy died of cancer in 1985, Phil was also part owner of the West Mansfield IGA.There he was introduced to Susan Boehmer, another teacher who had lost her husband to cancer. They were married April 18, 1986, adding her sons, Zachary (Kandyce) and Steven (Heather) Boehmer, to the family.
Phil enjoyed his career as an educator, and worked hard to make sure his students were exposed to real life work situations in his career education classes and in practical arts. He and Susan treasured each meeting with former students who remembered him and still had items they made in his class or went on to use skills he had taught to become successful adults.
Phil and Susan treasured being active grandparents to Ethan, Brad, Gage, and Ryan, in Ohio, and to Emma, Lane, Logan, Melissa, Heather, Sean, Stephen, Kris and Dallas in Florida.
In 2014, the couple became snowbirds, splitting their time between the Boehmer clans in Pensacola, Fla., and the Zack tribe in Ohio. They became Florida residents in 2019.
Per his request, Phil was cremated. A Celebration of Life service will be conducted Saturday, Jan. 18, 2020, at noon, officiated by Pastor Jim Ellington at the Indian Lake Community Church, 120 Orchard Island Road, Russells Point, Ohio, 43348. Visitation will be two hours prior to the service from 10 a.m. to noon at the church. A masonic service will follow. Inurnment will be private.
In lieu of flowers, the Zack family asks that memorial contributions be made to the Indian Lake Community Church, or to Wayne Lodge 569 F&AM in Waynesfield.
As Mr. Zack would say at the end of each class: It is time to Clean up!
Funeral arrangements are in care of the Eichholtz Daring & Sanford Funeral Home and Cremation Center in Bellefontaine, and online condolences may be expressed to the family at www.edsfh.com.