JOHN FRANCIS "JACK" STITES

1953 - 2018

STITES, John "Jack" Francis October 13, 1953 - August 13, 2018, Bristol, Florida, Jack Stites departed the morning of August 13, 2018 with the elegance, graciousness, and gracefulness with which he lived his full and diverse life. He excelled in all he did with flawless balance and perfect rhythm in any setting or situation. In the deepest sense, Jack was in tune with the heartbeat of all things, inanimate and animate. With his exceptional capacity to listen, he could come up with creative ideas and solutions in everything he did and for whomever he came across. Jack was the ultimate problem solver. With his special spark of creativity, he made things happen. As a young man, Jack achieved fame on his motorcycle in the National and World Trial Series and became a BBC color commentator for the sport in England. He imported trials bikes from around the world and engaged in events, instructional videos and personal training worldwide. In 2017, Jack was inducted into the North American Trials Council Hall of Fame. Equally drawn to water, his love for boats was seen in the work he did, from starting Grand Island Boat Works for antique boat restoration in Florida's Tampa Bay area to being highly sought after internationally for his expertise in high-end marine electronics at B&G (later Navico). In Tampa, Jack started Wildland Resources, LLC in the field of land management, restoration and conservation. He combined his uncanny ability to read terrain with his mastery of large machinery, love for adventure and understanding of nature and fire. In 2010 Jack went on to work for The Nature Conservancy (TNC) managing and restoring the longleaf pine forests of North Florida. He and his wife, conservation biologist, Annie Schmidt, lived on the Apalachicola Bluffs and Ravines Preserve in Bristol, Florida. Jack was magic. An inspiration who brought joy to all who knew him, he traveled the continental U.S. and the world touching lives in the diverse fields he worked and played in. He was a teacher and mentor to many, connecting and drawing professionals and friends together, as well as a natural interpreter and negotiator, encouraging understanding and keeping opposing delicate views on an even plane. Music was his passion and in every fiber of his being. He played drums, and many other instruments, in bands throughout his life. Music was interwoven in everything he did. Jack was born in Wayland Massachusetts and is preceded in death by his amazing parents Frank and Carol, his brother Richard and sister Pam. He is survived by his wife and love of his life, Annie Schmidt; his brother Tom Stites and his wife Merritt and their children and grandchildren; his very special in-laws, the extended Schmidt family of West Tisbury, Massachusetts; the beloved Blackie Bear, and the many people that loved him. Jack was a beautiful soul; honorable with a quiet dignity, generous, kind, warm, talented, brilliant, modest and true. An outdoor Florida celebration of his very large life will be scheduled for the Fall. Memorial donations may be made to Sandy's Music Girls Scholarship http://sandysmusicgirls.org/about-musicgirls/; the Orianne Center for Indigo Conservation (http://www.oriannesociety.org/ocic); or anywhere that resonates with your relationship with Jack.

View the online memorial for John "Jack" Francis STITES