John Edward Menz Jr

John Edward "Jack" Menz Jr., 73, of El Reno, Oklahoma, passed away on June 27, 2025, in Oklahoma City. A lifelong resident of El Reno, Jack was born on October 29, 1951, at the El Reno Sanitarium to Mary Margaret (Maher) Menz and John Edward Menz Sr.
Jack was the second of six children in a big Catholic family, Jack grew up alongside his siblings Kenny, Patty, Brenda, David, and Donna. Even though he wasn't the oldest, his siblings often said he took on a fatherly role in the house-always keeping an eye out for them, including making sure his sisters' dates knew when it was time to go home.
Jack attended Sacred Heart Catholic School until his junior year, then transferred to El Reno High School, where he graduated in 1969. At 21, he began working for the Rock Island Railroad (which later became Union Pacific), where he was quickly promoted to conductor. He worked there for 30 years until medically retiring in 2002 after surviving congestive heart failure and open-heart surgery. His recovery was nothing short of remarkable. While most patients don't successfully make the changes necessary to thrive, Jack did. He committed to a new lifestyle-walking or biking around El Reno daily, always taking time to stop for a friendly chat or lend a helping hand. He never met a stranger and had a servant's heart.
Jack volunteered for many years with El Reno's community Thanksgiving dinner and faithfully delivered Mobile Meals every Wednesday, often picking up extra routes when needed. His sister Brenda often joined him on his walks, where he was known to bring newspapers to porches and take out neighbors' trash bins. It was simply who he was-someone who would do anything for anybody to make their day a little easier or brighter. As his daughter Janae said, "If I had a dollar for every time someone said 'I just love your dad' or 'Did your dad tell you how he helped me the other day?' I'd be a millionaire."
Jack married Jeannie Allen on August 18, 1978, and although they later divorced, they shared the joy of welcoming a daughter, Janae Lynne Menz, on April 21, 1980. He was incredibly proud to support her through college-switching his lifelong loyalty from OU to OSU because, as he put it, "That's where all my money's going." He beamed with pride walking her down the aisle and watching her build a life and career.
Jack's greatest joy came with becoming a grandfather-"Pa Jack"-to Jace and Jensen. He adored them and made sure they knew it, never missing a chance to spend time with them. Sundays became known as "Pa Jack Day"-a treasured weekly tradition that started with changing diapers (even if sometimes backwards) and turned into trips to playgrounds, pumpkin patches, Main Event, Dave & Buster's, or anywhere fun he could take them. His love for Jace and Jensen was fierce, loyal, and full of laughter. He beamed with pride over Jace's love of baseball, his outdoor adventures, and his achievement making the Dean's Honor Roll at OSU. He never missed a chance to brag about Jensen's intelligence, softball skills, and love for shopping. They were the light of his life.
Jack is survived by his daughter, Janae Collar, and her husband, JL of Edmond; his beloved grandchildren, Jace and Jensen Collar; siblings, Kenny Menz of El Reno, Brenda Grulkey and husband Carl of El Reno, David Menz and wife Terri of El Reno, and Donna Chapman of El Reno; and his cherished nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his parents and his sister, Patty Williams.
A celebration of Jack's life will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Tuesday, July 8, 2025, at Wilson Funeral Home Chapel in El Reno.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial contributions be made to El Reno Mobile Meals in memory of Jack
Menz-a man who lived a life of service, kindness, and love.