Jack Sweeney

Jack F. Sweeney

Jack F. Sweeney, 92, beloved father, grandfather, neighbor, and friend, passed away on November 3, 2014.

He is survived by his children: Craig (Robert), Debbie (Frank), Tim (Toni), his cherished grandchildren: Kyle, Tim and Alex Sweeney who always brought joy into his life.

Jack was born in Reno to parents, Edna (Heinz) and John Sweeney in 1922 and grew up on the Heinz Ranch north of Reno. As a young son of a widow, he learned life's lessons early with survival skills of resourcefulness and the importance of being of service to others. Growing up on the ranch was fertile ground to combine his creative love of adventure, nature and animals. He shared wonderful stories like the time he jumped off the barn with an umbrella after he saw Eddie Rickenbacker fly. Or the story of one Christmas when he cut and dragged the family Christmas tree down the mountain to the ranch house in snow above his knees and his mother that evening lit the candles for just a short time ... Happily the stories went on.

Jack attended local schools in Reno and joined the Army when Pearl Harbor hit. He served in the 715th Railroad Operating Battalion, Company A and honed his skills as a caterpillar operator while his unit built railroads and bridges to aide in troop & supply transportation in North Africa & Italy. In 1944 east of Anzio, Italy, his bulldozer blade hit a stacked German teller mine and he was thrown clear with facial shrapnel injuries and both ear drums shattered. He always felt he was lucky to just have sustained permanent hearing loss compared to the suffering and death of his fellow soldiers around him.

After being honorably discharged, Jack worked on steam engines for the Southern Pacific Railroad in Sparks. Next he was on his way to take a job in Oakland when a longtime neighbor of the Heinz Ranch, Edith Evans, asked him to drive her into town to pay a bill. He'd been working for Edith doing odd jobs and on the hay crews since he was eleven. Jack always said this was the luckiest day in his life. This was where he met Clark Norris and was hired. The next day he was unloading a railcar of coal with Mr. Norris. In time he met Clark's daughter, Kathleen Norris, and they were married. Together they built a life surrounded by family, community, creativity, hard work, laughter and the goal to make the world a little better each day. Kathleen passed away in 2001.

In Jack's later years, he had time to turn his attention full time to his water dowsing business. He learned to dowse from his aunt, Louise Heinz, and enjoyed the people he met & the open spaces he walked with his dowsing rod in helping his customers find the new "liquid gold" as he called it.

On November 3rd, it was a beautiful fall morning when Jack was headed to the hardware store with clipboard and list in hand. He died suddenly. His Doctor later said this was the perfect way to go.

Needless to say, he did complete his mission. He made the world a little better and our hearts more full! Thankfully he knew just how much he was loved.

Our family would like to thank all those people throughout the years who have ever crossed paths in any fashion with that guy in the red pickup coming down the road who made his day brighter! It did matter.

At Jack's request there will be no funeral services. In lieu of flowers, please send any donations to: The Nevada Humane Society, Pet Adoption Program, 2825 Longley Lane, Reno, Nevada 89502.