John “Jack” William Stoddart
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John W. “Jack” Stoddart was born January 8, 1945, in Eau Claire, Wisconsin to John and Wilma Stoddart. He died at his home in Lawrence, Kansas on May 7, 2022, from complications attendant to Alzheimer’s disease. He was surrounded by his loving family.
As a young boy Jack lived in Eau Claire and Antigo Wisconsin. His family’s ties to the world of horse racing fostered a love for the outdoors. He told stories of riding his horse through the woods, picking berries and racing over streams. On weekends, he and his family competed in horse shows and county fairs.
The family moved to Colorado when Jack was nine and settled in Littleton. Jack graduated from Littleton High School in 1963.
Jack met Vicky Dunham as a sophomore in high school. He knew that she was his forever love. They married on August 14, 1965 and until death did they part – nearly 57 years. Jack and Vicky’s daughter, Kristin, was born December 18, 1969. Over time they lived in Sterling, Denver, Galeton, Eaton, and Greeley, remodeling each house along the way. After Jack’s retirement from Kodak, he and Vicky moved to rural Holton, Kansas to give the nearby grandchildren lots of space for outdoor adventures. They moved to Lawrence in 2013.
Jack was remarkable for his ability to build and maintain diverse and lifelong friendships. Many of these friends became extended members of his small family. Jack was a conversationalist known for his wealth of knowledge on many subjects and his gift of story-telling.
Jack was a naturalist and a master falconer. He discovered falconry at fifteen and came to befriend falconers throughout the world. Falconry was Jack’s lifelong passion and it was at the center of his closest friendships. He was among the founders of the North American Falconer’s Association as well as the Colorado Hawking Club. He was instrumental in writing and passing laws that the Colorado Division of Wildlife uses to govern birds of prey in captivity. In his early years he spent countless hours riding motorcycles and trucks all over the remote Pawnee Grasslands of Colorado studying birds of prey. He was an adventurer and wasn’t afraid of a challenge especially in the name of research. Jack was also an artist and craftsman. He created a set of Dutch hood molds used for shaping leather hoods custom for each bird of prey used in falconry. He mentored falconers in the most traditional practices and techniques to train and care for birds of prey
Jack valued devotion to family above all else and always showed up for those he loved. He is survived by his wife, Vicky, daughter, Kristin Campbell (Terry), grandchildren Karen, Jackie and Lucas Campbell, a sister, Jean Miller (Frank) and nephews David, Mike, and Steve Miller.
Jack had an endearing commitment to others and was loyal and strong to his core. He lived by the treatise “The way to be is to do.” Jack’s admonition to the young people in his family was steadfast and regular: “make a difference.”
He did.
The family welcomes you to services Tuesday, May 31st at 2:00 pm at Plymouth Congregational Church, 925 Vermont, Lawrence, Kansas. A celebration of life will also be held in Colorado at the end of July. Details for the Colorado service will be posted soon. In honor of Jack we invite you to write your favorite stories for Jack’s grandchildren.
Memorial contributions may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association in Jack’s honor and may be made through Warren McElwain Mortuary, 120 W. 13th Street, Lawrence, KS 66044.
I remember well Jack’s interest in falconry as a teen. His sister, Jean, and I were close friends from the time we were in second grade. Jack had a hawk house – a lean-to at the side of their garage- where he kept sparrow hawks, prairie falcons and a tiny burrowing owl. I loved looking at them. My condolences to Vicky, Jean and Frank and all their extended families. I have very fond memories of Jack.
Jack was a mentor to me in falconry and in life. In 1974, at the age of 23, I spent parts of the month of September running around northeast Colorado with Jack, practicing falconry and riding with him doing research. one of the most memorable times we spent was heading east to the Pawnee National Grassland and witnessed a kettle of Swainson’s Hawks form up to head south for the winter. As the experience of this ended, he looked over at me and said, “Wasn’t that the coolest thing you ever saw!” I think it was and still is! We also had a very memorable experience hawking at the NAFA Meet in Hutchinson Kansas that will be a lifelong memory. I will miss him and his experience and experiencing things with him terribly!
I first met Jack, Vicki, and Kris in 1978. In the intervening years, Jack became a friend, a mentor, and an example of what it truly means to be a good man. Jack had the most amazing memory of anyone I have ever met, and his knowledge base was extensive; he could speak on subjects from natural history to world history, from politics to psychology, of friends and family, and of course, anything having to do with falconry. Few people in this world ever equaled his ability to tell a story, but he never felt the need to embellish his recollections. I heard him tell the same stories several times throughout my life and the falcons in his tales didn’t catch more ducks, or fly higher, or become more impressive …. his stories always honesty chronicled exceptional experiences and a life well lived. I feel honored to have been included in some of those stories. Jack taught me how to train falcons and make hoods and we spent countless hours hunting with birds; some named Casino, Pride, Sophie, and Witch! Anyone who witnessed the falconry presentations he did for Vicki’s or Kristen’s classrooms knew what an amazing educator Jack was. He could teach children about birds, ecology, and planetary science, or advise doctoral candidates on bird of prey research. His family and friends were always the center around which his life revolved, and I proud to be one of his friends. I like to imagine that he is watching us all from a place with the wind in his hair and with a Peregrine falcon on his fist!
Vicki this slide show was so touching. Shows two young folks falling in love and sharing so many years growing as a family. Always admired the tenderness, respect and love you shared with each other. Honored to have known such a special man.
My connection with Jack started in Antigo WI with our parents who were best friends and “horse lovers”. The 6 Beattie kids and 2 Stoddard’s (Jack & Jean) continued to be close throughout the years, in spite of never living in the same state once Stoddard’s left WI.
We feel a great loss in losing our dear friend! Jack flew from CO to WI to attend my dad’s funeral… there was not a dry eye in the room when Jack shocked us by walking in the door. It still brings tears to my eyes just thinking about how much it meant to have Jack with us that day.
He was an amazing man who left a wonderful legacy for all of us from his Falconry passion, to his love and kindness to family and friends. The most touching relationship we witnessed was Jack’s deep love for his wife, Vicky, throughout the years. They were the epitome of what deep love is all about.
I first met Jack toward the end of my sophomore year at Littleton High School in 1962. Having recently developed an interest in falconry, and seeing him at school carrying a hawk (red-tail I think) on his fist, I sought him out hoping for some guidance how to get started. For about the next ten years, what guidance I got for about the next ten years! The guy was an awesome falconer, instructor, naturalist, storyteller and FRIEND. In fact, he often had kind of a “leveling” effect on me, in my sometimes disjointed teenage life. Very together guy, for which I am eternally grateful…
Relative to all things birds of prey related, the fun just rolled on! My first meeting at his house resulted in being shown a “bal chatri” trap, used in various forms to catch raptors by their feet. About a week later, I’d made one and trapped a male kestrel (sparrow hawk to some) using my bicycle for transportation. I think that shocked Jack as I was supposed to be reading how to take care of it first. What he didn’t know is I read a basic falconry book during the week prior! So, all good…
That was the first of probably hundreds of birds we trapped or collected from eyries (nests) in succeeding years – kestrels, red-tail, prairie falcons, goshawks, Coopers hawks, you name it. Often we just trapped for the fun of trapping, turning them loose as soon as we got them out of being trapped.
Pawnee National Grassland was a major mecca for birds. I swear at some point we rappelled into every eyrie surrounding or on Pawnee Buttes. Also, I recall we raced a herd of antelope one time, until they slowly pulled ahead and CROSSED in front of us. I can verify they can outrun a ’63 Mercury station wagon doing 70 mph down a two-tracker dirt road! Actually I didn’t look at the speedometer at the time, but it felt like 70 right?
Last time Jack and I were out there together was about 1973 banding Golden eaglets in their cliffside nest. Great fun tossing food samples down to Jack to make his notes – the usual jackrabbit fare, joined by a goat leg and a half eaten rattlesnake as I recall…. Hilarious, though he might not have shared my enthusiasm in that regard…
Jack, you will be missed. To Jack’s family, take solace in the fact his was a life well lived. God bless you all!
In my garage there hangs an old, worn out falconry bag. To most people it would seem an odd, misshapen thing but it means more to me than words can say. It was given to me by a man who helped direct my life in a way that is hard to describe, a way that shaped who I am today. It was a gift given, after passing my falconry exam, by Jack Stoddart. I was a goofy, awkward 13 year old when I met Jack in 1991, but I loved raptors and wanted to be a falconer with all my heart. Jack took me under his wing and I became his apprentice, where I made more mistakes than I care to remember. Jack was always patient with me and always ready to teach and help. In doing so, Jack not only taught me: he inspired me. He inspired me to have a love of nature, science, and learning. He inspired me, not with his words but with his actions, to give back to the world and the things that bring you joy. He inspired me always push myself and learn, using the knowledge to lift others up. He showed what it was to love something so much that you find a selfless joy in others’ success with it. I have had many titles in my life but none will ever match the pride I feel by being known as Jack Stoddart’s apprentice.
Timothy Varallo, MD
Jack was a great human being and a great friend. I met him through my falconry sponsor, Mark Hout, who introduced me to Jack as someone who’s “… forgotten more about falconry than either of us will ever know.” Although probably not technically accurate, because Jack didn’t really forget much of ANYTHING in those days, the point of the introduction was still very true: Jack had gathered a seriously encyclopedic wealth of information and wisdom about raptors and, it turns out, about many other topics and life in general.
Jack invested in me personally through his time and support during a fairly short period of time between 1989 and 1993. He mentored and guided me through the training of at least 2 birds, maybe 3. He helped me look for and find lost birds, and he was a good friend for many years.
Perhaps the single most significant investment of time he made in me was talking me through the training of my first Goshawk, Rose, in 1991. Once I trapped her, I think I must have called him most every day to tell him what had happened in the day’s training session, what I had tried, how the bird responded, etc. He would tell me what to try the next day and maybe most importantly, he’d try to help me understand WHY things happened the way they did. He advised what to watch for and what to avoid. He gave me every bit of information he could to help me understand how to succeed with her. He was very, very generous with his time and his expertise, and all with no expectation or hope of reciprocation. I believe he did it out of sheer excitement for the project. I also think he must have gotten some satisfaction from helping someone else succeed. I’ve found that the highest quality people I’ve met have a tendency to do that.
Rose and I were indeed pretty successful that first year. We caught lots of game and had MANY memorable adventures out in the wild together. I even lost her for a whole week and got her back without skipping a beat. Of course Jack was instrumental in finding her again. That story appeared in a Halk Chalk shortly afterwards called “Rollercoaster Falconry”.
To me it seems a huge investment of time for someone who’s not family and could offer little in return. Without that investment, Rose and I would not have done nearly as well as we had. Jack always gave me credit for training her, but I know it was his guidance, wisdom, encouragement and time that made the biggest difference. He told me once that no one could ever take those memories away from me. Very true.
I almost always went hawking alone. Jack almost never had time due to work, family and his own falconry activities. He was a busy guy, but I do recall two occasions we did go out together. On one occasion we walked quite a bit and had a few unsuccessful flights on bunnies. On one of them he nearly took on the role of a sports caster, right at the moment she made the bid and tried to bind to the rabbit. He shouted, “OHHH! Almost GOT it!!!!” It was so passionate and obvious he was deeply invested and REALLY wanted us to get that rabbit. Remembering that moment has meant so much to me over the years. He was just so full of support and enthusiasm. And that kind of support from someone of Jack’s caliber meant a great deal to me. It made me feel incredibly good. I hope I never forget that feeling. I hope I can make someone else feel that way some day.
Another time he came out with us was the last day of hunting in the spring of ‘92. We were in search of Jackrabbits. There was fairly deep, slightly crusty snow on the ground. We flushed a jack. The gos chased it down and bound to it. Just as I came up to them the jack kicked her off and sprinted away. She took off after it and bound to it again after another fairly long flight. Again I approached and she got kicked off. Again she caught it. This happened 4 or 5 times. We were chasing this jack all over the sagebrush for like 10 minutes. It was exhausting due to breaking through the snow. We just couldn’t seem to seal the deal. Maybe her talons were a bit dull. Finally she held onto it long enough for me to get hold of it too and we finally had our 15th jack of the season. High drama in eastern Colorado. A hard won victory for sure, and Jack was there for the whole thing. He took pictures to commemorate the occasion.
One of the things I admire most about Jack and his life, his nature, his character, his spirit, is his rock solid love and devotion to his family and friends, and the awesome relationships and success that are the result. One of many “Jackisms” I heard over the years was, “Nothing breeds success like success.” Whenever we had a chance to catch up, maybe once a year or even less, in all the years since the early 90’s, he was always so genuinely proud of his wife, daughter and grand kids. He always talked about what a trooper Vicky was through multiple, seriously life-threatening health challenges. He would admiringly refer to his daughter as “Wonder Girl”, always hard at work making something amazing happen. He reported regularly on how well the grand children were doing. What he NEVER did was claim credit for all this successful engagement with the inherent difficulty of life. He always just seemed pleased, as if it had nothing to do with his own hard work, devotion, dedication and love.
Another thing he never did was complain. I think he just knew, at a deep, core level that life has a way of throwing curves at you and being generally difficult, and the best approach to take is to simply expect it and work hard at being strong enough to overcome the difficulties when they arrive. One time he said, in reference to some lucky circumstance, “Yeah, we finally got an even break.” That stuck with me.
Jack was a giant of a man in so many ways for so many great people. He was patient, kind and generous most all of the time with everyone . . . even the dipshits and the whistle dicks. He was courageous and bold; benevolent, intelligent and articulate. I miss him dearly, and am deeply grateful for the gifts of the relationship and experiences we shared.
Unfortunately I won’t be able to attend the Colorado gathering due to business commitments, but I’d like to propose a toast: May the effects of Jack’s life and spirit continue to positively impact us all. A great man and a great friend indeed. Cheers!
Jack and Vickie were a huge support when I was a grad student in Colorado. In no particular order, Jack was an outstanding falconer, a falconry historian, a scientist, a raptor breeder, a pioneer in the design of the modern Dutch falconry hood, a great friend, and many more good things. I had moved to Colorado in 1994 to attend grad school. After a year here, I was introduced to Jack while attending a Colorado Hawking Club meeting. He offered me to come visit him and go hawking. And hawking we did for years to come. As a falconer from Mexico studying in the US, and then settling here, there was no better way of keeping my interest in the sport alive that learning from a world class legend in falconry. While receiving the abundant warmth of his friendship and that of his family. Jack and Vicky came to my Ph.D. graduation as my host parents, 22 years ago. I spent multiple Thanksgiving dinners at the Stoddart’s, enjoying their friendship, the wonderful company always surrounding their home and, of course, lots of falconry.
Coming back from duck hawking, Jack once told me that what made the world go ’round was friends and friendships. He lived by this, and by doing so, touched the lives of many. You will be missed, my dear friend. I wish you the best in this new journey!