John William Jaco M.D.

1981 - 2020

John William Jaco, M.D.
1981-2020
Doctor John William Jaco died suddenly and unexpectedly on Monday, July 13, 2020. He is survived by his wife of seven years, Candice; three beautiful daughters, Adelaide Elizabeth ("Addie"), Lorelei Grace ("Rory"), and Genevieve Sabrina ("Evie"); mother and father, Linda and William ("Bus"); three brothers and their wives, Will (Mina), Brent (Maria), and Andrew (Katie); seven nephews and one niece (Reid, Kent, Bret, Hayden, Brandon, Willa, Henry, and Arthur); and countless other family and friends who loved him dearly.
John was born on April 23, 1981, in Houston, Texas, to his loving parents. At the young age of 9 years old, he declared that he would attend Rice University, adding early thereafter his intensions to become a doctor, create a beautiful family, and spend his life in Houston. John was nothing if not a man of conviction, so it is not surprising that he achieved each of these goals. In 1999, John graduated from Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, where he was the valedictorian and a National Merit Scholar. He then attended Rice University, where he met his wife, and from which he earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Biochemistry cum laude in 2003. After Rice, John earned his medical degree from the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston, attending on a full-tuition scholarship from the United States Army. Make no mistake though, he was first and always a Rice Owl. After graduating from medical school, John moved to Washington, D.C., and completed his residency in radiology at Walter Reed National Military Medical Center. He then served his country for four years as a radiologist at Landstuhl Regional Medical Center in western Germany, ultimately attaining the rank of Major. While in Germany, he married Candice, his best friend and the love of his life, and started his family. He received an honorable discharge from the Army in 2016 and quickly returned to his favorite place in the world—Houston. He then entered private practice as a diagnostic radiologist with Radiology Partners Houston, where he was recently promoted to partner. Always outgoing, John made lifelong friends at each stop in his professional and personal journey.
John will be remembered for his seemingly limitless energy, his devotion to serving his country, family, and patients, and his passion for living life to the fullest. Never one for subtlety, his presence was always felt by those around him, most notably through his contagious, boisterous laughter. He loved all things sports, especially the Astros, the Texans, Oklahoma State athletics, and Rice baseball. He was also an incredible cook, an intrepid traveler, a board game fanatic, an avid fantasy fiction reader and writer, and a lifelong fan of Dave Matthews Band. But most of all, John was devoted to his friends and family, especially his wife and three beautiful daughters. He did not waste a single second of his life, traveling to numerous countries and experiencing everything they had to offer. Each trip was researched in excruciating detail, with daily itineraries that would put a travel guide to shame. And even when the family and friends he traveled with were ready to tap out for the day, John always had the energy to pull everyone else along—to see one more sight or to enjoy a meal at one more restaurant.
John dedicated himself to creating memorable experiences to share with those he loved. And while his passing leaves a void that can never be filled, the memories he worked so hard to create are gifts that will forever be cherished.
A small, private funeral will be held in the near future, with interment at Houston National Cemetery. A larger memorial and celebration of John's life with family and friends will be scheduled for a later date. For those who wish to do so, please consider making a donation in John's honor and for the benefit of his wife and children to https://www.gofundme.com/f/john-jaco-memorial-fund.