Dr. Jack J. Stephens

Dr. Jack J. Stephens

Dr. Jack J. Stephens, 87, of Missoula, passed away January 19, 2021 of heart failure.

Born January 22, 1933, in Sheridan, WY, Jack was adopted into his Hamilton, MT family with his beloved sister, Willa Gray. His adoptive parents were Thaddeus D. Stephens and Etta W. Cooksey Stephens. As a young boy, he met his life-long friend, Fred J. Stout, and they remained friends until his passing. They eventually became business partners in the company Jack created in Dallas, TX and later moved to Missoula, MARS, Inc. which is in business today as MARS Stout.

Jack was always looking ahead to the next big adventure. He valued education and attended the School of Mines in Butte where he worked on the radio tube transmitting systems as a young student. He enlisted in the Navy in September of 1950 serving aboard the U.S.S. Henry W. Tucker during the Korean conflict. He claimed to have once hit golf balls off the ship's deck with Arnold Palmer; that was the story.

His true love was Sociology and Political Science and throughout his life, he involved himself in political life. He went on to get his master's degree and then a doctorate in Sociology from Purdue and Montana State University teaching Sociology at the university level for many years. He was an outstanding lecturer and convinced many of his students to pursue degrees.

He loved golf, but he was a better bridge player. He never tired of developing bid systems and was a grand master for a time. He was also a pilot and once flew his nervous daughter through the mountains of British Columbia in a small plane in a white-out using only mathematics to land safely.

Married to Sandra Quinton in 1952, he had two sons, Daniel Stephens, and David Stephens. Upon her death, Jack was a young teacher with two small boys when he met Lee Cooprider while teaching in Missoula. They married and had a daughter, Linlee Stephens Nelson. He is survived by his three children, seven grandchildren: Derrick Stephens, Nicole Lowney, Jessica Stephens, Hunter Stephens, Blake Stephens, Kailee Nelson, and Katherine Nelson, and seven great-grandchildren. Lee Cooprider preceded him in death in July 2017.

His long-time business partner and good friend Beverly Kiker also preceded him in death. He and Bev created MARS, Inc. during the 80s in Dallas, TX where Jack had been the CETA Director for the City of Dallas. He got it in his head that you could interview all the new hires for US Companies and determine eligibility for a tax credit, making the work of processing that credit easier for large organizations. It worked, with a lot of creative thinking, and a great deal of help from his family and expertise from his son, Dan, the company exists to this day, though in slightly different form.

In his later life, he travelled the country in a motorhome and particularly enjoyed fishing in Alaska. Fishing was a bit of an obsession. Jack and his son David built a home in Forks, WA where they did as much fishing as they could before returning to Missoula in 2019.

Jack was fiercely independent and maintained that independence until his death. He was a loving individual who could have an argument or debate in one moment and be laughing and talking about ideas the next. He will be missed. A memorial service is planned in May.