Jack Leonard Ulsh

Jack Ulsh was born on August 22, 1944 in Yakima, Washington to Dick and Bessie Ulsh.  He passed away on June 16, 2021 in Allen, Texas.

Jack was fierce throughout his life - his work ethic, his devotion to lifelong learning, and even his emotions.  When he was happy, he was ecstatic.  When he was depressed, he was dejected.  When he was mad, he was furious.  And above all, when he loved, he was devoted.

He graduated from Bellaire High School in Houston, Texas in 1962, where he participated in the Junior Reserve Officers’ Training Corps.  After a brief time at Sam Houston State University, he served his country by enlisting in the U.S. Army during the ongoing Vietnam War. He served multiple assignments in the U.S. Army Security Agency under the operational control of the National Security Agency as an Intelligence Intercept Operator, which included overseas assignments in Germany.  During his military service, Jack earned several commendations including an expert badge with the M-1 rifle, soldier of the month award on numerous occasions, and other decorations.  In this role, he became an expert in morse code, participating in multiple classified military projects requiring him to maintain a Top Secret/Cryptographic clearance.  After honorably discharging from the Army in 1966, Jack entered the workforce while continuing his education at Sam Houston State University and earned a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics and English in 1972.

Jack worked in the Healthcare Information Systems (HIS) industry as a computer programmer/analyst, ultimately serving in multiple senior roles as the Chief Information Officer in large multi-hospital organizations. He also founded multiple successful businesses along the way.  In his diverse and thrilling professional career, Jack traveled throughout the United States to ensure hospitals operated in the most efficient and effective way possible to better serve patients, thus positively impacting countless lives.  As a lasting legacy of his professional achievements, one of his projects was recognized by the Smithsonian Institution for its impact in the HIS industry.

Although his professional life was full of accomplishments, he was undoubtedly most proud of his family.  Life lessons were imparted to his children - sometimes deliberately, sometimes unconsciously -  while working on projects around the house, having a conversation about any number of things, or even while playing a game.  While the significance of some of these lessons was not realized until later in life, they have had a profound impact on his children’s lives. He always found a way to communicate important things in unexpected ways.

Jacks  favorite way to enjoy free time was with games and competition. Indeed, his prowess at the card table was second to none and his competitiveness was unquenchable.  Any family gathering required games of cards, pool, backgammon, or any number of board games. At any moment, he could teach you something new about strategy you never previously considered.  You were also rarely allowed to end a session of games while ahead.

He spent his early years learning from his father about the family business of carpentry.  This was a skill he would use throughout his life to build and fix things around the home for his family.  He was truly prolific in this arena, particularly in his various wood-working projects which unfortunately for his sons, meant building and rebuilding (then rebuilding again) various structures around the family farm.  He was also a lifelong reader, devouring countless books throughout his life and probably read more in any given year than most do in a lifetime.  Given his propensity for hard work and love of learning, he imparted these traits to his children who will benefit from his example for the rest of their lives.

It is no secret Jack battled with addiction for many years but in the end, he claimed his victory over this struggle as well and served as an example of what it means to be devoted to a cause.  In his recovery, he mentored countless others in their struggles with various addictions given his volunteer work with Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) and learned the value of forgiveness, both to others and to one’s self.  It was in this rebirth he ultimately found the love of his life, Marie.  Though their time together was limited in the calendar’s measure, it was monumental in terms of their impact on each other.  Given Marie’s untimely passing in the fall of 2020, Jack struggled with sorrow and prayed to have the ability to meet with her again soon.

Jack was also a man of faith even though some outside observers may not recognize him as such.  He had a deep appreciation for the teachings of the Bible - not just reading it casually but poring over its lessons during his younger years as well as during his time on the road.  Later in life, he focused on the spiritual teachings from AA and elsewhere, giving his life to a higher power.  In his understanding, Jack did not necessarily believe in one name for God but rather the fact that all people of various creeds were correct in their devotion to the one true God.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Lee, and his wife Marie.  Jack is survived by his children, Dena, John (Kristen), and Jason (Sanitha), his grandchildren Devin, Logan, Layla, Jamin, and Jacob, and his sister Patty, along with many loved nieces and nephews.

Jack was loved by many family members and will be dearly missed.

There will be a Visitation beginning at 10:00am on Wednesday, June 23, 2021 at Allen Family Funeral Options.

A Celebration of Life will follow beginning at 11:00am.  For those who cannot attend, the service will be Live Streamed and recorded for future viewing at: http://webcast.funeralvue.com/events/viewer/56037

Interment will be private at the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery.