Jack A. MacAllister

1927 - 2015

Jack A. MacAllister passed away in February 14, 2015, in Gunnison after a lengthy battle with Parkinson's Disease. Jack was born in Humeston, Iowa July 12, 1927. His father was a high school math teacher, principal and coach, and his mother was a devoted homemaker. They instilled in Jack a strong work ethic and everlasting sense of humility, integrity, compassion and fairness. After a short stint in the Navy as WWII ended, Jack enrolled at the University of Iowa. While attending a football game, he noticed a cute blond playing the snare drum in the school's famed Scottish Highlanders marching band. He set up a blind date with her, and soon met the love of his life, Marilyn Anderson. They married right after they graduated in 1950, and remained so until his death. Jack was promptly recruited by the telephone company, known as "Ma Bell" at the time, as an installer for $50 per week. He and Marilyn rented a basement apartment, began their life together, and raised three children, Steve, Jim and Sue. Jack ascended through the ranks, moving 19 times in five states. He loved people, loved meeting customers, believed in treating employees fairly and with respect. He was a much beloved and legendary figure within the company. As president of Northwestern Bell in Omaha, he was instrumental in an effort to redevelop downtown Omaha. His career culminated in 1982 with his appointment as the CEO and Chairman of U. S. WEST, one of the "Baby Bells" mandated by the divestiture of AT&T. He held that position until his retirement in December of 1990. Jack built U S WEST into a Fortune 50 company, and embraced diversity and encouraged the recruitment and advancement of women and minorities. Jack chaired the work-based learning advisory commission of the Department of Labor, was a board member of the National Parks Foundation and numerous other boards, both corporate and non-profits. He established the U S WEST Foundation, dedicated to funding community efforts in the 14-state company region. He also established Osage Initiatives to address the plight of homeless people in Denver. Osage Initiatives provided them with job training, housing, day care and education. Jack also was a great believer in education, in part as a tribute to his father, a career educator. He established scholarship programs at 6 universities, often favoring minority and first generation college students. Jack and Marilyn built a family vacation home in Mt. Crested Butte in 1975. They came often over the years to ski and enjoy the mountains, before finally settling in the Gunnison valley permanently in 2005. Jack and Marilyn contributed generously to many organizations in both Gunnison and Crested Butte. Many charities, educational institutions, and non-profits have benefitted from Jack's philanthropic efforts. Most importantly, it's the people those organizations serve that he wanted to help. One of his preferred methods was to award matching grants, thereby encouraging others to give and become involved. If you would like to honor Jack and become a part of his legacy, please send memorial contributions payable to the Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, earmarked for the Jack MacAllister Memorial. Contributions will be matched by the MacAllister Family Foundation, and distributed by the family to many of Jack's favorite organizations. Please send memorials, payable to CFGV and noted for the memorial, to: Community Foundation of the Gunnison Valley, 805 W. Tomichi Ave., PO Box 7057, Gunnison, CO 81230. Contributions can also be made online at cfgv.org, look for the Jack MacAllister Memorial link. A celebration of Jack's life is planned in Gunnison this July with details to be announced.