RALEIGH

Walter Jackson (Jack) Hester passed away on June 25, 2021 at age 94.  He is survived by his wife of 70 years, Betty Quinn Hester; his daughters Lynn Hester Connell (husband Richard), Lisa Hester Hall (husband Randy), and Elizabeth Hester Pawelka (husband Rick); and his grandchildren Chris Connell, Somer Hall Shively (husband Stephen), Shelby Hall, Eric Geiger (wife Blythe), Ashley Geiger, and Carl Geiger; and his great-grandson Sirus Shively.  He was preceded in death by his mother, Louise Rogers Hester, sister Martha McLaurin and her husband Bill McLaurin, brother John Hester, and sister Ginger Beatty and her husband Neill Beatty.

Jack grew up in Raleigh during the Great Depression which shaped the way he approached life. He graduated from Broughton High School in 1944.  He attended UNC where he was co-captain of the track team and graduated with a degree in Math.

After college, Jack joined the Navy, where he proudly served both during World War II and the Korean War.  He became a fighter pilot, flying Corsairs and Panther Jets.  He was assigned to Fighter Squadron Twenty Three during the Korean War and flew their first combat mission as part of the Inchon Invasion in Korea in 1950 from the aircraft carrier, the U.S.S. Boxer.

While in flight training in Corpus Christi, TX in February 1950, he went on a blind date and met Betty Quinn and fell in love with her at first sight!  Jack and Betty were married in December 1950 after he returned from his next tour of duty.

Jack returned to civilian life in 1952 in Texas where he worked for Superior Oil and pursued his MBA.  In 1959 he started working for IBM which included moves from California back to Texas, then to Connecticut, and finally, back to Raleigh, NC when RTP first broke ground in 1968.  He received many awards for his innovative and motivational work at IBM until he retired in 1987.

When he moved back to the Raleigh area, he saw an opportunity to partner with his brother-in-law, Bill McLaurin, and bought 88 acres of land about five miles west of Cary "in the country."  He sold his part of that land in 1996 and it is now Fenton Estates, now very much within the growing town of Cary.  In the mid-1980s he saw another opportunity to buy land on what would become Falls Lake in North Raleigh.  He created a sub-division there, named it Duxford, and he and Betty have enjoyed their home there since 1996.

Jack had an entrepreneur spirit and was constantly innovating, whether at his "regular job," in real estate, selling sailboats, a shaved ice business, or creating fun rides and activities for his and the neighborhood kids.  He was a firm believer in education and ensured his children and grandchildren had the means to pursue their education.  He was extremely proud of all of them.

Jack was passionate about sailing, teaching, traveling, and engaging with people.  He never met a stranger and had friends all over the world and wherever they traveled.  He was always looking for a conversation and loved sharing thoughts and ideas.  Above all, he was known for his strong ethics, high energy, wisdom, and mentoring.

Jack lived life to the fullest – "you can't add days to life but you can add life to your days."  Jack made a difference every day of his life and he will be missed by everyone whose life he touched.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Jack's name to either First Presbyterian Church or the scholarship fund at William Peace University.

First Presbyterian Church ( https://fpcraleigh.org/ )

112 S. Salisbury Street
Raleigh, NC 27601-1344

Office Phone: (919) 821–5750

William Peace University ( https://www.peace.edu/ )

15 East Peace Street
Raleigh, NC 27604
919.508.2000