WP-ORG Main Image
View a eulogy for Jack Harding Romney, USMA '45, who passed away on August 5, 2013.

Jack Harding Romney

West Point, 1945

Be Thou At Peace

Posted by Laurel Romney Barile on July 30, 2018:


Jack Harding Romney, 93, was born July 30, 1920 in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Ruth and George Ottinger Romney. An hour after a dinner shared with his daughter and co-residents, Jack died of old age on August 5th, 2013 in the city of San Diego, his last words being, "I'm so grateful".

He leaves 2 daughters -- Katie Romney of Florida, and Laurel Romney Barile of San Diego, and his grandson Cullen Romney Barile in San Diego plus a son-in-law Douglas Romney Barile of Connecticut. He also leaves a son Christopher Jack Romney of New Jersey and granddaughters Carolyn and Samantha Romney.

Jack was a graduate of the United States Military Academy at West Point, class of 1945, and served as a pilot in the Army Air Corps for many years. He subsequently worked as an engineer for Dresser Industry, for International Staple and Machine, and in product development for United States Steel before retirement in 1981. He was pre-deceased by Sue, his wife of 42 years, whom he lost to cancer in 1988 and by Virginia, his second wife of 19 years, whom he lost to Alzheimer's in 2007 with whom he shared a second set of grown kids --Ron&Cheri in NM, Linda&Richard&Drew in MD, and Steve&Hillary&Holden&Hamilton&Hudson in FL.

Jack was a classicist and a romantic; he had a quick, sly and always-decent wit, a great, widely-read intellect with a generous nature and courtly manners. His appetite for learning, his gusto for culture, his enthusiasm for human achievements led him to travel much in every sense. His keen sight and stunning command of the language made for engaging conversation. God blessed us all that, even in his last years, his intellect slowed but never dulled.

Jack had committed himself to sobriety and self-development as a young man so, by the time he reached his 93rd, he was "fully domesticated", as he would phrase it. It might have amused him to have that carved on his gravestone. He might well have requested, "Duty, Honor, Country." But it would have meant everything to him to have others write, "Beloved son and brother and husband and father, grandfather and friend".

 
admin

West-Point.Org (WP-ORG), a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization, provides an online communications infrastructure that enable graduates, parents, and friends of the military academy to maintain and strengthen the associations that bind us together. We will provide this community any requested support, consistent with this purpose, as quickly and efficiently as possible. WP-ORG is funded by the generosity of member contributions. Our communication services are provided in cooperation with the AOG (independent of USMA) and are operated by volunteers serving the Long Gray Line. For questions or comments, please email us at feedback@west-point.org.