Jack Sousae, 95

GILFORD — Jack Sousae died on June 12, 2019, at Lakes Region General Hospital, Laconia.

Jack was born Nov. 23, 1923, in Oil City, Pennsylvania.

In 1943, at the age of 19, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy. After training as a torpedo-man, he was assigned to the USS Seal. During his time on board, the Seal mainly patrolled the Kuril Islands, located between the Japanese Home Islands and Russia. By the time the war was over, Sousae had reached the rank of chief petty officer, the highest non-commissioned officer rank in the Navy at the time.

In the 1950s, Jack was sent to Union College in Schenectady, New York, where he got a crash course in engineering. “Three years of college in six months,” is how he remembered it. After that, he was sent to the Knolls Atomic Power Laboratory outside Schenectady, where he learned first-hand about the creation of electricity from nuclear power, the technology that would be used in the Navy’s nuclear-powered submarines, which were then on the drawing boards.

Eventually, Jack was stationed at the Portsmouth Naval Shipyard, where he helped oversee the construction of nuclear power plants for two submarines that were under construction at the yard. His military career started during World War II and he retired in 1972 while the U.S. was still fighting in Vietnam.

After retirement, Jack quickly filled his time with new hobbies: gardening, hunting, winemaking, woodworking and cooking. Jack loved to try out new recipes on one of his many cooking gadgets.

In 2013, he moved to Gilford and quickly made new friends. He was generous and supported many causes, such as the Gilford Police Department, the Gilford Fire Department, and many political groups. He was frequently heard saying that he just wanted congress “to do their jobs!”

Jack loved telling stories about his time in the service and sharing stories about his late wife, Janet. Toward the end, he stated he was ready to go and be with his wife. We were glad his death was quick, that he didn’t suffer long. He was a charming man and we will all miss him.

Jack is survived by his daughter, Carol Bell, and two grandchildren, John Butler and Lisa Mundo.

Calling hours will be on Saturday, June 29, from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. at the Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, using the Carriage House entrance. A funeral service will follow at 1 p.m., also at the funeral home, with a reception to follow at the Beane Conference Center, 35 Blueberry Lane, Laconia, NH 03246.

For those who wish, memorial contributions may be made in his memory to the Gilford Police Department, 47 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, NH 03249; or the Gilford Fire Department, 39 Cherry Valley Road, Gilford, NH 03249.

Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant St., Laconia, is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial, go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.