Friday, May 19, 2023 | 10:30 AM

Jack Albert Mertes, age 93 of Edina. Husband. Dad. Grandpa. Athlete. Artist. Musician. Storyteller. Medical miracle. Gently passed away on March 1, 2023, with loved ones by his side.

Jack was born in Winona and graduated from Winona High School in 1947, where he was a 9-time letter winner in football, basketball, baseball and band. In football, Jack was a Big Nine Conference All Star at Winona and was a University of Minnesota Golden Gopher playing for coach Bernie Bierman and Butch Nash. Jack was one of the last of the “Bernie’s Boys” and a Golden Gopher for life. In baseball, Jack served as captain of the Winhawks, pitched for the American Legion Winona Post 9 team, the Winona Dukes of the Junior Southern Minnesota League, spent a season at St. Mary's College and, at the U of M, lead his fraternity (ATO) to the intramural championship after pitching 3 games in 2 days. In his post-college days, Jack played handball and tennis, mainly for the post-match meals at McNamara’s Bar and TJ's.

In addition to being a gifted athlete and musician, Jack was a lifelong artist. He studied art at the U of M and sculpture at UCLA with Bernard “Tony” Rosenthal and was invited to apprentice with Tony at his studio in California. As a starving artist, Jack worked at the famous Bullock’s in Westwood Village and sold cashmere sweaters to the Hollywood elite including Fred MacMurray and Claude Rains.

Jack had a varied career, including memorable stints with Watkins, Miller Publishing, and Principal Financial, as well as early adventures laying railroad ties and building coal cars for the Milwaukee Road, loading trucks at the Grain Belt Brewery and working the carnival circuit throughout the Midwest for concessions king Frank Campbell with lifelong friend Howard Cohen.

Jack married Patricia Irwin in 1956. Together, they built a loving home and had five children. Jack and Pat always encouraged their children and grandchildren in their artistic, athletic, and academic endeavors and were very active in their children's lives, including chairing the best ever 1969 Wooddale Carnival which featured a Space Age theme. They were also founding members of the Crew of Harriet.

Jack and Pat enjoyed memorable travels to Florida, Maui, Mexico and Europe - especially France, as well as numerous family trips in the trusty Country Squire station wagon. They loved live music and theatre and happily recounted tales of seeing original Broadway productions such as “Camelot” starring Richard Burton, Julie Andrews and Robert Goulet; and “A Funny Thing Happened on the Way to the Forum” starring Zero Mostel, a show which Pat said made her laugh so hard it hurt. Jack enjoyed memorable shows at Turner Auditorium and was delighted to meet Duke Ellington on a train to Chicago.

Jack was always up for a food-related outing, whether it was to Winona’s Hot Fish Shop, Mac's Fish and Chips, Salut, Perkins (where he enjoyed the choices on the 55+ menu, especially the turkey dinner), Dayton's Oak Grill, Snuffy's, Pannekoecken Huis for thick split-pea soup and Saturday morning breakfasts, and grocery shopping at Jerry's.

No outfit was complete without one of his stylish baseball caps customized with just the right pin, button, or patch (usually with a U of M theme).

Jack had an eye for great cars and owned a 1955 Ford Thunderbird convertible and a 1964 Ford Mustang as new cars. It was fitting that the last film Jack saw in a movie theatre was “Ford vs. Ferrari.”

Jack was an avid newspaper reader and a fan of political cartoonist Steve Sack. Jack even suggested an idea to Sack, which Sack turned into one of his creative works of art.

When Jack's first grandchild John was asked to bring someone to Highlands Elementary for Favorite Person Day, the youngster had a wide variety of options. His Favorite Person? Grandpa Jack, also known as Pappers!

Preceded in death by his loving wife of 62 years, Pat; his parents, Frank J. and Lillian Mertes; brother, Frank G. Mertes, and daughter Amy Mertes Dingmann. Survived by son Jack (Lori); daughters Ann (Rick Griffith), Jennifer, and Maribeth (Todd Hegg); and grandchildren John, Nick and Mollie Mertes and Ethan and Owen Hegg. Jack was a proud father and grandfather and loved them all – equally and well.

Our heartfelt thanks to the caring hospice team at Park Nicollet including the nurses, doctors, social workers, shower ladies, massage therapists, music therapists, priests, ministers and the medical supply delivery guys that conversed and comforted Jack every day.

Jack’s final two days were spent at Our Lady of Peace, a very special place that helped Dad take his final steps. It was a blessing he was in their care.

Memorials preferred to the Amy Mertes Dingmann Memorial Scholarship Fund at the University of St. Thomas.