By Deborah Larsen
John Evariste “Jack” Theriault Jr.
John Evariste “Jack” Theriault Jr. was born in Detroit, Michigan, on November 24, 1923, the son of John and Beatrice D’aoust Theriault. The Theriault family moved to Rochester when Jack was a boy. He attended Rochester High School, where he was a student athlete and quarterback of the Falcon football team. Jack graduated from RHS in the class of 1942 and continued his education at the University of Michigan.
In December 1942, Jack enlisted in the U.S. Army Reserve. He left the University of Michigan in his freshman year to report for infantry training. Four months later, he transferred to the Army Air Forces, where he trained as a transport pilot and ferried bombers from the U.S. to England. He also flew wounded soldiers back to the U.S. from the European Theater. Jack was discharged from military service in October 1945.
After the war, Jack returned to the University of Michigan, where he met his future wife, Alice Orr. Jack and Alice married in 1947 and started a family, while Jack worked for several companies, including Detroit Edison, Mead Corporation, and Kimberly-Clark Corporation. Jack and his family made their home in Neenah, Wisconsin, where they enjoyed boating.
John Evariste Theriault Jr. died at age 97 on March 1, 2021, and was laid to rest in Neenah, Wisconsin.