Dr. Gregory Martin Jack
Dr. Gregory Martin Jack, former University of Washington basketball player, Opthalmologist and Mercer Island resident, passed away peacefully last Saturday evening after a courageous 20 battle with Multiple Sclerosis. He was 58 years old. Dr. Jack’s life was a sharp contrast of life’s joys and sorrows. His early years were spent bursting with youthful accomplishment only to be ambushed by the ravages of a slow, relentless disease that robbed him of his golden years. He was born in Seattle on September 11, 1954.After all his achievements, his most memorable one will be his decision to participate joyfully in life despite the sorrows of his condition. He never complained and asked nothing of those around him; only love, laughter and the chance to be a participant. Through his courage and will, he showed us the preciousness of life. At Mercer Island School in 1972 as a 6’ 6’ center, Greg was a first team All-State Washington High School basketball player, and ended the year the state’s leading scorer at nearly 24 points per game. He was honored as a McDonald’s High School All-American, and for several years he held the Washington State tournament record for most points scored.Greg was also the 1972 Mercer Island High School valedictorian with a perfect 4.0 grade point average. Greg also played varsity basketball three years at the University of Washington. In 1975, he was awarded the Athletic/Academic Award, the 101 Club Scholar/Athlete Award, and graduated in psychology with a 3.8 GPA worthy of a Cum laude. He received his medical degree at the Jefferson Medical College, Philadelphia in 1981 where he received the Cullen Prize in Ophthalmology.His residency was spent at the Greater Baltimore Medical Center. With his father, he collaborated in writing a world first scientific paper concerning the ocular complications of Graft vs Host disease. At that time, he was also a consultant for the Fred Hutchison Cancer Center.His practice of Ophthalmology was cut short by Multiple Sclerosis, but he persisted with the will of a true competitor as a private practitioner. His incapacitation did not prevent him from becoming a medical legal consultant for all of the western states. With distinction as long as his courage allowed, he was the chief investigator of Ophthalmology, Optometry and Optical fraud for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Sciences.Greg’s memory and life remain in the hearts of his loving family that include his two devoted daughters, Sari and Jana Jack, his mother and father, brother Kimball and sister, Gayle. The family would will always be grateful to Greg’s wonderful caregivers, Aster and Ferdinand. His family will hold a private ceremony.There will be a celebration of Greg’s life at the Mercer Island VFW Hall on Thursday, March 22, 6:00-10:00 pm.
