Jack was born in the Bronx, New York on November 2, 1924 to Edward and Lillian Rodin and attended Stuyvesant High School.
He was a proud WWII veteran; enlisting in the Army Air Corp on December 3, 1942. He served on Guam with the 458th Bomb Squadron, 330th Bomb Group (VH), 314th Bomb Wing as a B-29 navigator. He completed 23 missions over Japan and was awarded the Distinguished Flying Cross and Air Medal with 2 clusters.
After the war, he completed his engineering degree at CCNY and worked as a design engineer at Pratt & Whitney Aircraft in East Hartford for 42 years. His early assignment started with advanced propeller design and he later worked on jet engines. Under top secret clearance, he worked on the SR-71 spy plane and the Lunar Exploration Module (LEM) that landed on the moon. Jack has several patents in his name that are still in use today in modern jet engines.
He met the love of his life, Sonya Berman in 1950. Jack and Sonny were married for 58 years until her passing in 2009.
Jack is survived by his loving children, Robert and his wife Debbie of Pasadena, California and David and his husband Javier Cardenas of West Hollywood, California.
Jack loved spending time with his family and friends. He had an unending appreciation for learning and teaching. He was quick witted, fun loving, and always pursued new adventures. He was a true patriot, a genuine hero and a respected role model. His engaging personality and sense of humor left a lasting impression on his friends, family and even people with whom he had the briefest encounter.
Jack was a great father, loyal and trusted friend and a true force of nature; his impact and presence will be profoundly missed.
Services will be held graveside on Tuesday, July 31, 2018 at 12 P.M at Beth Hillel Cemetery, 74 Wolcott Road in East Granby. In lieu of flowers, Jack would have appreciated contributions to some of his favorite charities: The Wounded Warriors Project, The National WWII Museum in New Orleans or The Hebrew Senior Care Foundation in West Harford, Connecticut.
