JACK W. McCALL

  Jack W McCall, 92, of Emmett, ID passed away on January 24, 2020, in his sleep from congestive heart failure, surrounded by the loving warmth of his family. 

  Jack was born in Colfax, Washington on November 15, 1927 to Harry and Clara (White) Walden, who later divorced.  In 1933, Clara married Gerald McCall (Blackie) and with Clara, Blackie raised Jack and two other siblings as his own.  From then on, Jack would proudly introduce himself as Jack McCall without having legally changed his last name.

  After finishing school, Jack worked with Blackie in the family logging operation, using horses.  It was here that he developed a life-long love for horses, which he passed along to his children.  In 1945, Jack enlisted in the Army, where he served as a cook until he was honorably discharged.  His family moved to Kooskia, ID in 1948 and this is where he met the love of his life, Rose.

  Jack married Rose D. Amell in Lewiston, Idaho in a civil ceremony on March 25, 1950.  They also celebrated the Holy Bonds of Matrimony on September 27, 1958, at St. Anthony’s Catholic Church in Greencreek, Idaho; becoming Mr. and Mrs. Jack McCall.  Yet, Jack still had not legally changed his last name, while Rose was legally Rose McCall.  Jack and Rose raised their family of 5 children in Kooskia, ID, where he managed a saw mill and operated a logging company.  In 1971, they entered into a partnership with the Dentons, owning and operating the Syringa Café at Syringa, ID. 

  In 1971, when Jack and Rose travelled to Europe, Jack legally changed his last name from Walden to McCall, as Rose refused to travel with a man with a different last name.  The family then moved to Syringa, Idaho in 1976, where Jack worked as a diesel mechanic and helped his daughter raise Appaloosa horses.  In the early 1980s, Jack headed to Alaska to work on the Slopes and the partnership acquired the Lochsa Lodge.  In 1987, Jack and Rose sold their partnership interest in the Lodge and returned to Syringa where Jack worked for a rock crusher for several years, and Rose operated the Syringa Café.  Jack, finally, purchased another logging truck, hauling in the Kooskia area for several years. 

  In 1994, Jack and Rose sold their interests in the café and moved to Emmett, ID to live near their daughter and her family.  When asked when he was going to retire, he stated, “Retirement is doing what you want to do and I love logging.”  Jack quit logging when he was 85 years old, caring for Rose until her death in 2014, sharing 64 years together.  After Rose’s death, Jack learned to live life differently and eventually he found some pleasure again, working in his shop and creating horseshoe art. 

  Jack was not one to sit idle. He loved, logging, boating, fishing, driving in the mountains with his family, and spending time with the people and animals that he loved.  Jack had a special fondness for babies, whether it was human or animal.  He also had a sense of humor, loved to tell jokes and never met a stranger. 

  Jack is survived by his 5 children: Mike (Linda), Tim, Dan, Anne Marie (Richard), and Mitch (Debbie); 7 grandchildren: Scott, Katie, J, Andrew, Amanda, Marc and Jennifer; 5 great grandchildren: Cole, Kenzi, Colt, Cadence and Brooklin; siblings: Mick McCall, Emily Ralston (Billie), and Glen McCall; brother-in-law, Jack Kirkland and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces and nephews, and Debbie Estlund.  

  A Memorial Mass will be held at 2:30 p.m. at the Sacred Heart Catholic Church in Emmett, Idaho, on Saturday, February 29th, 2020.  The rosary will be at 2:00 p.m.  Services are in the care of the Potter Funeral Chapel.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of JACK W. McCALL, please visit our floral store.