John Park

JOHN "JACK" PARK, age 78, of 2 DeLong Ave., Ithaca, NY died Sunday, February 4th, 2007 at the Cayuga Medical Center at Ithaca, NY after a brief illness. Jack was born in Cortland, NY on May 17, 1928, a son of the late Ralph and Jean Gilkerson Park. He was graduated from Virgil High School in 1946. Jack served in the US Navy from 1946 to 1948 and worked with his father and brother in a milk hauling business and for the Town of Virgil Highway Dept. and Donald McKee Land Surveyors during the construction of Interstate I-81. Later he was employed for 25 years at the Town of Dryden Highway Department retiring as the Deputy

Highway Superintendent. Jack was a member of the Cortland Post, Veterans of Foreign Wars. He enjoyed watching the New York Knicks basketball team and was an avid NASCAR fan, having traveled many times to the Daytona 500 even before NASCAR was a popular as it is now. He loved his family members and will be greatly missed.

Survivors include his daughters, Linda VanBerkom of Ithaca, Lenora "Noni" Norton of Dundee, NY and Jaclyn Park of Mineral Wells, TX; grandchildren, John (Lisa) Lyons, Joenell (Randy) West, Timothy (Jaci) Lyons, Jamie (Brendon) Barker, Lindsay VanBerkom and John "J.J." Savage; a sister-in-law, Marie Park of Dryden; thirteen great-grandchildren; nieces and nephews including Laura Park. In addition to his parents, Jack was predeceased by his brothers, Harold and Edward Park and two sons-in-law, Dennis VanBerkom and Lyle Norton.

Funeral services will be held at 2 PM Thursday, Feb. 8th at the Perkins Funeral Home with Rev. Sam Neno of the Groton Assembly of God Church officiating. Burial, delayed until spring, will be in Virgil Rural Cemetery. Friends are invited to call from 12:30 to 2 PM Thursday at the funeral home, 55 West Main St., Dryden. Those wishing to remember Jack are asked to consider a memorial to the Dryden Ambulance Fund, P.O. Box 397, Dryden, NY 13053-0397.