Jack Lynn Conlee

Jack Conlee Obituary Jack Lynn Conlee: A Life Story (1942-2024)
Jack Conlee, age 81, loved nothing more than a good challenge or a good party. Thats
why it was so surprising when on May 9, 2024 he left peacefully in the middle of the
night, sober and without a fight.
Jack was born in Dallas December 21, 1942 to Jacqueline and Robert Conlee. He
began reading when he was three years old so he could enjoy the funny papers without
any adult supervision. At age four he insisted on going to the corner grocery store by
himself, refusing to take a list as he had memorized all the items needed.
In 1947 he was joined by baby brother, Michael, on Hickam Air Force Base in Hawaii.
At five, Jack spent his time snorkeling long distances from shore, creating a lot of
anxiety for Jackie and Bob. Early one morning he left his bike and little fishing rod at
the end of a long dock to go play with a friend. When he showed up at sunset to
retrieve his things, he found the Coast Guard dragging for his body while his parents
sobbed on the dock.
Jack attended Highland Park High School in Dallas where he was a mediocre student.
(He said he was holding back for the hard stuff to come.) When he was a Junior an
older student with an agenda beat the sh** out of him (Jacks words). Jack vowed
revenge, and three times a week he took a city bus to a downtown gym to learn to box.
There he trained alongside Curtis Cokes, who became welterweight champion of the
world in 1966 and a lifelong friend to Jack.
Upon seeing Jacks first attempts in the ring, Curtis and the other boxers took a liking to
him, but observed "Jackie Boy cant even lick his lips". The next year Jack won the
Dallas Golden Gloves championship as a featherweight and won a parking lot revenge
fight against his former antagonist.
Jacks first exploits as a party planner began in high school. He and a friend rented four
charter buses which loaded on school property at 4 am, giving them an air of school
sponsorship. They had recruited the oldest, deafest, blindest available grandparents to
act as chaperones. Off they went to the Highland Park state football championship in
Austin armed with illicit alcohol, blankets, and pillows. They made a great deal of
money on that enterprise, so later in the year they trespassed on a private lake front
beach, set up a bar, hired a band, and made another load of money selling admission
tickets and illegal alcohol.
Jack began his college career at North Texas State University where he placed out of
numerous courses and "gunned" his way through the required prerequisites for medical
school. In 1962, just a year after he graduated from high school he took the MCAT. In
December of his second year in college, he was accepted to Southwestern Medical
School and the University of Texas Medical Branch. He chose UTMB because of its
reputation as being more fun than Southwestern.
At age 20 Jack found medical school challenging but still was able to apply himself to
the art of partying. He lived and breathed the Phi Chi fraternity and served as social
chairman for several years. The annual Spring Toga Party was a special highlight with
frozen daiquiris spun up in blenders and made with 190 proof ethyl alcohol "obtained"
from the school chemistry department. Festivities lasted until dawn with a band, fried
chicken, skinny dipping, and "gatoring" by the pool.
During his senior year of medical school Jack agreed to assist the nursing club in
throwing a party for Freshman and Sophomore nursing students visiting from Austin.
He asked to be set up for a date with the cutest visitor and thats how he met Darien.
The party was at the Roadside Inn, a former African American church. Jack was too
busy with the party to go pick Darien up, so when they first met he was behind the bar
screwing around with the kegs (Jacks words). It was love at first sight.
After a rollicking good four years, Jack headed off to a straight surgery internship and
three years of general surgery residency. In the meantime, he married 19 year old
Darien and they lived in Memphis, New Orleans and Galveston.
In 1971 Jack was invited to join the Phoenix Plastic Surgery Associates as a resident in
plastic surgery. Life was good in Phoenix as he did his residency and Darien attended
graduate nursing school. As the Viet Nam war was winding down, the Air Force
released Jack from his obligations and in 1973 the couple chose Corpus Christi, TX as
their new home.
At the age of 30 Jack was one of the youngest plastic surgeons to ever be board
certified. He loved all types of plastic surgery from burns, to hands, cleft lips and
cosmetic surgery. He used to say he did "surgery of the hand and anywhere it can
reach." His patients loved him and he was a skillful clinician and surgeon. In 1983 he
was among the first surgeons in the southwest to use closed suction lipectomy, now a
common procedure.
Soon after starting practice Jack also began forays into commercial real estate. He
bought numerous apartment complexes and in 1980 completed the first apartment to
condo conversion done in Corpus Christi. He also owned a professional building and
was co-founder of a surgical center.
Corpus Christi was a wonderful place to live with excellent medical facilities, a beautiful
bay, an active yacht club, and fabulous friends. Early on Jack bought a sailboat and
named it "Flat Busted" for his favorite surgical procedure. He and Darien and their
crew raced the boat every month in the Bay and the Gulf with great success. When the
yacht club hosted the world Quarter Ton sailing championship, Jack and Darien served
as the social directors for the prestigious two-week event.
After a bareboat sailing trip to Honduras in 1979 Jack declared, "lets go back there and
buy an island." And that is how their life at Half Moon Cay began. Years of planning
and construction followed but in 1985 Jack and Darien, and their best friends Diane and
Terry Smith, moved to "the Island". Jack loved everything about it, especially his
Australian Cattle Dogs, deep sea fishing, Zydeco, and sitting at the beach BBQ. Many
a party was held at Half Moon Cay including Jacks 50th birthday party with a Zydeco
band from Louisiana and 300 guests.
Then, after fifteen years on the island, Jack made another pronouncement. "Lets build
a house in the French Quarter in New Orleans to have another place to go." One thing
led to another and the new home at 500 Dauphine was born. To christen the house
Jack insisted that a millennium party was just the ticket. No matter that the floor was
plywood, the sheetrock was just primed, and the balcony railing was welded on the day
of the party. Friends new and old came on December 31, 1999 to celebrate with food,
drinks, and live Zydeco.
Twenty years passed and life sometimes has a surprise for us. After 53 years of
marriage Jack and Darien separated and were divorced. However, they talked almost
every day and Darien continued to help Jack manage his affairs.
Jack was not just a party kind of guy. He loved having a scientific or philosophical
conversation. He was on the board and treasurer of the Corpus Christi Yacht Club. He
was a community activist, working to decrease motorcycle noise and garbage in the
French Quarter. He was a great believer in education and sent over 30 island school
children to universities.
But more than anything, Jack was a great guy. So many of his medical friends and
others have called me to share remembrances and give their condolences. In
celebration of Jack there will be a party in New Orleans sometime within the next few
months.
Darien Conlee To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Jack Lynn Conlee, please visit our Tree Store.