Sperry Park Genealogy - Person Sheet
Sperry Park Genealogy - Person Sheet
NameJohn Delevan ‘Jackie’ Cole 
Birth1927, Chico, CA
Death2009, Chico, CA
FatherPhilip Chester Cole (1883-1938)
MotherIrma Haile
Notes for John Delevan ‘Jackie’ Cole
John Delevan Jackie Cole
BIRTH
7 Mar 1927
Chico, Butte County, California, USA
DEATH
7 May 2009 (aged 82)
Chico, Butte County, California, USA
BURIAL
Chico Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, California, USA Add to Map
MEMORIAL ID
61252741 · View Source
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MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 3
FLOWERS 0
Chico, California It was the teenage years of the new century, and Chico was a bustling western town with its own miniature yet sophisticated slice of high society. Philip Chester Cole, a noted local bachelor who by now was almost 40 years of age and acquainted with most of the local upper crust, set his eye on one of 3 daughters of prominent local sheep rancher Henry Haile, and soon they were married. One decade and 2 healthy sons later, Irma was expecting a 3rd child, and this time, on March 7, 1927, the local hospitals namesake Dr. Enloe himself delivered John Delavan Jackie Cole, to the reputable young architect and his bride. With yet another son James joining the melee shortly after, the well-connected young Cole couple and their 4 boys appeared to have a bright and promising future ahead, as they upgraded from their home near downtown Chico to a sprawling family ranch north of town. But over the next few years, not unlike the Biblical house of Job, God in his sovereignty allowed a series of tragedies to visit the young Cole family via a succession of unrelenting, and seemingly merciless blows, as follows: In about 1930 when Johns younger brother James was 2 years old, he contracted a disease that was accompanied by a fever so extreme, it left him severely mentally handicapped for the remainder of his life. Then in 1934, Johns next-older brother Haile, at 10 years old, died as a result of injuries from a car accident. Then in 1938, when John was 11, his father died suddenly and unexpectedly, at age 55, of a massive stroke. And as if to connect and extend the string of family tragedies, Johns oldest and sole remaining brother Philip also suffered early and undiagnosed developmental problems that severely and permanently limited his adult life, to the extent that he was never able to hold a job, get married, or even manage his own personal affairs. Then in 1941, three years after his fathers death, when John was 14, his mother sold the family ranch northwest of Chico and moved her remaining family to a newly-built home on Vallombrosa Avenue, which she had specially designed for her by her late husbands draftsman, Louis Brouchoud. . Two years later in September 1943, when John was 16 years old, tragedy visited once again when a horse he was riding as part of his work in the local almond harvest was spooked, and threw him off. Johns foot caught in the stirrup and the runaway horse dragged him for about a full mile before stopping. Sustaining a cracked skull and numerous related injuries, John slipped into a deep coma. Johns mother was certain that fate had dealt her yet another hand of permanent loss, and that the Cole family heritage was about to be snuffed out. But one random morning three-and-a-half weeks after the accident, John abruptly woke up, with full faculties, and quick to recover completely. John completed high school at Chico High in 1945 and prepared to begin a college career, but even as World War II ended, the ongoing draft remained in effect, and in 1946, John was drafted into the US Army. Due to Johns less-than-ideal eyesight, he was relegated to clerical office positions, where he excelled with his verbal, numerical and typing skills. After completing his distant but relatively peaceful military tour in Okinawa, John was honorably discharged and returned to Chico, where he attended classes at what was then Chico State College. Then again in 1950, John achieved the unusual distinction of being drafted a second time, this time for the Korean conflict. He was assigned to office support duties at Fort Ord near Monterey, an assignment he often referred to later as having fought the battle of Fort Ord. After being honorably discharged a second time, he returned to Chico for a brief period, then secured a job at the US Department of Agricultures inspection station on what was then Highway 40 (now Interstate 80) in Truckee, a place known among its staff as the Bug Station. At some point in about 1953, Gods angel of mercy began to turn Johns family destiny from one of numerous devastating losses to and a life of love and growth and new beginnings, when John met Audrey Goodpasture, the woman he would commit to for the rest of his life. They married in September of 1955, and then together they finished out their bachelors programs in Education at what was then called Sacramento State College, now California State University Sacramento. Shortly after graduating, John acquired a teaching position in nearby Marysville area, so the couple moved there and bought their first tiny house in Marysville, for $14,000. In 1958 John became a father for the first time, with baby Margaret Ann, who was his spittin image. In 1960, the Lord sent baby Elizabeth Jean and in 1961, baby David John was born, and thus, the fledgling Cole family was now complete. . . or was it? In 1964 Johns mother was still living in her house on Vallombrosa Ave, but she fell ill and passed away. John soon moved his family back to the house his mother had built in 1941, where he had lived as a teenager. He found employment as an elementary teacher in Oroville, but soon became overwhelmed with his position. Realizing through his experience that he was not compatible with teaching, John then decided to leave the education field, never to return. While John was searching for his niche in life career-wise during the late 60s and early 70s, more additions to the Cole family arrived: beautiful, tow-headed Virgil Francis Goodpasture in 1968 and spunky, fearless Edward Arthur in 1970. John, the perpetual big-kid at heart, continued his fun with still more kids to buy toys for, such as fast cars (kid-propelled, then later, remote- controlled), jungle gym, teeter-rocker, unicycle, and bikes of all sizes and shapes and purposes for the various stages of his kids lives. Speaking of bicycles, it was during this era of Johns life, having to cope with his many children, that he extended his interest in healthy physical activity, to include an avid interest in biking. The Nazarene Churchs annual weeklong summer bike ride became a highlight in his life at this point, and in the lives of all five of his children, with whom he enjoyed this event for several years. While John tried his hand in various fields including sales, construction and locksmithing, but remained quote, professionally restless unquote for the next 14 years until 1978 when now, being semi-retired, he took a part-time job with the Sacramento Bee as a delivery route driver. Johns son David made a particular note that, while his dad continued his quest for a steady, upward career path after teaching, there was never a question of his work ethic when presented with a task. David remembers accompanying his dad to work many times, and always noticed that his dad was the first and most willing of construction workers to start any digging, lifting, cleaning or other task that was presented. Anybody who has ever watched Johns son Eddie approach a physical task knows exactly what we mean, because Eddie clearly inherited the high-energy, not-afraid-of-physical-work trait. John started to get out of the church-going habit during these years, probably partly due to his feelings of falling short of what he thought God expected of him, and the pressures of raising a large family without having as great of an income as he would have liked. Through the prayers of his wife and other family members, and the friendship of many friends from church, John eventually found his way back to the fellowship in recent years and was faithful from that point on, as long as he was physically able. The re-confession of his faith in God at various points in time to different members of his family is a special memory that many of them hold on to. In September 2006, John experienced a debilitating stroke that left him reposing in recovery for the rest of his days. In early March of this year, John further began a decline in health from which he would not recover. As his body started the process of releasing his spirit, he thankfully felt no pain. God had accepted Johns confession, and received him back with open arms, and without judgment, as he will any one of us who strays and returns as the prodigal son. Johns son Virgil was privileged to share in Johnss final moments, reading scripture, praying, reminiscing of family events, and reminding John of some special spiritual moments that John had shared with Virgil in recent months. The end came peacefully on May 7, 2009 at about 8:00 pm, when John went to be with the One who had his arms open for him since the moment he was first in Gods creative thought. John leaves his loving wife Audrey of 53 years, and many extended family and friends, who look forward to reuniting with him in Heaven one day very soon.
Family Members
Parents
Philip Chester Cole
1883–1938
Irma Haile Cole
1888–1964
Spouse
Audrey Ann Goodpasture Cole
1935–2022
Siblings
Philip C Cole
1921–2001
Henry Haile Cole
1924–1934
James E. Cole
1928–2005
BIRTH
7 Mar 1927
Chico, Butte County, California, USA
DEATH
7 May 2009 (aged 82)
Chico, Butte County, California, USA
BURIAL
Chico Cemetery
Chico, Butte County, California, USA Add to Map
MEMORIAL ID
61252741 · View Source
SHARE
SAVE TO
SUGGEST EDITS
TOGGLE DROPDOWN
MEMORIAL
PHOTOS 3
FLOWERS 0
Chico, California It was the teenage years of the new century, and Chico was a bustling western town with its own miniature yet sophisticated slice of high society. Philip Chester Cole, a noted local bachelor who by now was almost 40 years of age and acquainted with most of the local upper crust, set his eye on one of 3 daughters of prominent local sheep rancher Henry Haile, and soon they were married. One decade and 2 healthy sons later, Irma was expecting a 3rd child, and this time, on March 7, 1927, the local hospitals namesake Dr. Enloe himself delivered John Delavan Jackie Cole, to the reputable young architect and his bride. With yet another son James joining the melee shortly after, the well-connected young Cole couple and their 4 boys appeared to have a bright and promising future ahead, as they upgraded from their home near downtown Chico to a sprawling family ranch north of town. But over the next few years, not unlike the Biblical house of Job, God in his sovereignty allowed a series of tragedies to visit the young Cole family via a succession of unrelenting, and seemingly merciless blows, as follows: In about 1930 when Johns younger brother James was 2 years old, he contracted a disease that was accompanied by a fever so extreme, it left him severely mentally handicapped for the remainder of his life. Then in 1934, Johns next-older brother Haile, at 10 years old, died as a result of injuries from a car accident. Then in 1938, when John was 11, his father died suddenly and unexpectedly, at age 55, of a massive stroke. And as if to connect and extend the string of family tragedies, Johns oldest and sole remaining brother Philip also suffered early and undiagnosed developmental problems that severely and permanently limited his adult life, to the extent that he was never able to hold a job, get married, or even manage his own personal affairs. Then in 1941, three years after his fathers death, when John was 14, his mother sold the family ranch northwest of Chico and moved her remaining family to a newly-built home on Vallombrosa Avenue, which she had specially designed for her by her late husbands draftsman, Louis Brouchoud. . Two years later in September 1943, when John was 16 years old, tragedy visited once again when a horse he was riding as part of his work in the local almond harvest was spooked, and threw him off. Johns foot caught in the stirrup and the runaway horse dragged him for about a full mile before stopping. Sustaining a cracked skull and numerous related injuries, John slipped into a deep coma. Johns mother was certain that fate had dealt her yet another hand of permanent loss, and that the Cole family heritage was about to be snuffed out. But one random morning three-and-a-half weeks after the accident, John abruptly woke up, with full faculties, and quick to recover completely. John completed high school at Chico High in 1945 and prepared to begin a college career, but even as World War II ended, the ongoing draft remained in effect, and in 1946, John was drafted into the US Army. Due to Johns less-than-ideal eyesight, he was relegated to clerical office positions, where he excelled with his verbal, numerical and typing skills. After completing his distant but relatively peaceful military tour in Okinawa, John was honorably discharged and returned to Chico, where he attended classes at what was then Chico State College. Then again in 1950, John achieved the unusual distinction of being drafted a second time, this time for the Korean conflict. He was assigned to office support duties at Fort Ord near Monterey, an assignment he often referred to later as having fought the battle of Fort Ord. After being honorably discharged a second time, he returned to Chico for a brief period, then secured a job at the US Department of Agricultures inspection station on what was then Highway 40 (now Interstate 80) in Truckee, a place known among its staff as the Bug Station. At some point in about 1953, Gods angel of mercy began to turn Johns family destiny from one of numerous devastating losses to and a life of love and growth and new beginnings, when John met Audrey Goodpasture, the woman he would commit to for the rest of his life. They married in September of 1955, and then together they finished out their bachelors programs in Education at what was then called Sacramento State College, now California State University Sacramento. Shortly after graduating, John acquired a teaching position in nearby Marysville area, so the couple moved there and bought their first tiny house in Marysville, for $14,000. In 1958 John became a father for the first time, with baby Margaret Ann, who was his spittin image. In 1960, the Lord sent baby Elizabeth Jean and in 1961, baby David John was born, and thus, the fledgling Cole family was now complete. . . or was it? In 1964 Johns mother was still living in her house on Vallombrosa Ave, but she fell ill and passed away. John soon moved his family back to the house his mother had built in 1941, where he had lived as a teenager. He found employment as an elementary teacher in Oroville, but soon became overwhelmed with his position. Realizing through his experience that he was not compatible with teaching, John then decided to leave the education field, never to return. While John was searching for his niche in life career-wise during the late 60s and early 70s, more additions to the Cole family arrived: beautiful, tow-headed Virgil Francis Goodpasture in 1968 and spunky, fearless Edward Arthur in 1970. John, the perpetual big-kid at heart, continued his fun with still more kids to buy toys for, such as fast cars (kid-propelled, then later, remote- controlled), jungle gym, teeter-rocker, unicycle, and bikes of all sizes and shapes and purposes for the various stages of his kids lives. Speaking of bicycles, it was during this era of Johns life, having to cope with his many children, that he extended his interest in healthy physical activity, to include an avid interest in biking. The Nazarene Churchs annual weeklong summer bike ride became a highlight in his life at this point, and in the lives of all five of his children, with whom he enjoyed this event for several years. While John tried his hand in various fields including sales, construction and locksmithing, but remained quote, professionally restless unquote for the next 14 years until 1978 when now, being semi-retired, he took a part-time job with the Sacramento Bee as a delivery route driver. Johns son David made a particular note that, while his dad continued his quest for a steady, upward career path after teaching, there was never a question of his work ethic when presented with a task. David remembers accompanying his dad to work many times, and always noticed that his dad was the first and most willing of construction workers to start any digging, lifting, cleaning or other task that was presented. Anybody who has ever watched Johns son Eddie approach a physical task knows exactly what we mean, because Eddie clearly inherited the high-energy, not-afraid-of-physical-work trait. John started to get out of the church-going habit during these years, probably partly due to his feelings of falling short of what he thought God expected of him, and the pressures of raising a large family without having as great of an income as he would have liked. Through the prayers of his wife and other family members, and the friendship of many friends from church, John eventually found his way back to the fellowship in recent years and was faithful from that point on, as long as he was physically able. The re-confession of his faith in God at various points in time to different members of his family is a special memory that many of them hold on to. In September 2006, John experienced a debilitating stroke that left him reposing in recovery for the rest of his days. In early March of this year, John further began a decline in health from which he would not recover. As his body started the process of releasing his spirit, he thankfully felt no pain. God had accepted Johns confession, and received him back with open arms, and without judgment, as he will any one of us who strays and returns as the prodigal son. Johns son Virgil was privileged to share in Johnss final moments, reading scripture, praying, reminiscing of family events, and reminding John of some special spiritual moments that John had shared with Virgil in recent months. The end came peacefully on May 7, 2009 at about 8:00 pm, when John went to be with the One who had his arms open for him since the moment he was first in Gods creative thought. John leaves his loving wife Audrey of 53 years, and many extended family and friends, who look forward to reuniting with him in Heaven one day very soon.
Family Members
Parents
Philip Chester Cole
1883–1938
Irma Haile Cole
1888–1964
Spouse
Audrey Ann Goodpasture Cole
1935–2022
Siblings
Philip C Cole
1921–2001
Henry Haile Cole
1924–1934
James E. Cole
1928–2005