Jack S. Berka

Jack Stair Berka of Bel Air, Maryland passed on December 24, 2020 at the age of 96. Born September 5, 1924 in Nevada, Iowa, Jack was the son of Milo and Lorraine (Stair) Berka and the devoted husband of the late Shirley (Holthaus) Berka. In 1942, while attending Iowa State University (ISU), Jack enlisted in the 636th Army Air Force Base Unit where he played the clarinet in the Army Band and was promoted to Sergeant. Soon after graduating from ISU, Jack began his 40 year career with General Electric as an Electrical Engineer. Jack met his wife Shirley in Detroit, Michigan while working at GE, and the couple enjoyed a 59 year marriage. Music was Jack's passion; he played the clarinet and saxophone in Dixieland and Jazz ensembles, including The Jacks 5 and the Gentlemen of Jazz, which played at weddings and assisted living homes. After a GE promotion and work relocation to California, his Dixieland group was chosen to play the Kit Kat jingle in a TV commercial filmed at Disneyland. Jack was also an avid photographer. Apart from developing black and white photos in his basement darkroom, he spent numerous hours Photoshopping our family into outer space and onto the cover of Time magazine. After his retirement from GE and a move to Maryland, Jack and Shirley spent their golden years traveling to Europe, Russia, and other parts of the world.
Jack is survived by his son, Jack W. Berka and his wife Kelly; daughter, Nancy L. Miller; and grandchildren, Jessica, Laura, Brooke, Blaire, and Blythe.
A Celebration of Life will be held at a later date.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to: American Parkinson Disease Association,Inc. or www.apdaparkinson.org