Jack A. Gigl

Jacob "Jack August Gigl, 84, passed away Monday, April 16, 2018.
Visitation will be at Lucas Funeral Home, Grapevine, Wednesday, April 18th, 6-8 pm.
A Celebration of Jack's Life will be at Gateway Church North Richland Hills Campus, Thursday at 10:30 am. A private family graveside will follow services.

The Legacy of Jacob August Gigl
“Well done, good and faithful servant.” (Matthew 25:23)

A Legacy Begins
Jacob (Jack) August Gigl was born in Milwaukee, WI, on February 24, 1934. When he was young, his mother, a first-generation American, took him to church on rare occasions. He gave his life to Jesus during a Sunday school lesson when he was five years old. After Jack’s mother stopped attending church, Jack went by himself. One Sunday, when Jack was about twelve years old, a severe winter storm arose. Jack called to see if the service was cancelled. When no one answered the phone, he walked to the church, only to find it empty. Even the pastor, who lived a few doors down, hadn’t shown up. But Jack did. It was an early sign of the faithfulness Jack would exhibit for the rest of his life.

Falling in Love with “Sherry”
When Jack was 16 years old, he became best friends with Joe Hoffman. One day when he visited Joe’s house, he met Joe’s younger sister, Sharon. He liked her and could tell she had a crush on him, but he played the role of a big brother until she was old enough to date.

When Sharon turned 15, Jack took her out on a few dates before he left home to serve in the Army. Sharon wrote him frequently and enthusiastically, once sending him a 20-foot valentine. When Jack came home, he began pursuing his “Sherry” more seriously. Together, they went dancing, studied the Bible, and committed to raise a family that served God.

At the age of 23, Jack asked 18-year-old Sharon to marry him. When she opened the ring box, she was dismayed to find a paper cigar band inside. With his trademark grin, Jack then pulled out a stunning solitaire ring. They married on June 22, 1957.

Work and Play
After marrying Sharon, Jack took a job at Continental Can while pursuing a college degree at the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee and Marquette University. With his trademark diligence, Jack juggled night shifts, janitorial work, and college courses for eight years. After earning his engineering degree, Jack was hired by Vilter-Emerson Electric, where he worked for the rest of his career.

During his college days, Jack was delighted to become a father. God answered his prayer to have a daughter as his first child through the birth of Melody, followed by Jack’s two sons, Chris and John. Jack was determined to raise his children to follow God, so he sacrificed to send all three kids to Christian school.

A Spiritual Awakening
Vilter transferred Jack to Houston, Texas in the late ‘60s. The Gigls attended St. Mark Lutheran Church, where Jack became filled with the Holy Spirit. He taught Sunday school and led a family life group for twenty years. Later, he became an elder at Faith Lutheran Church, where he found an unexpected outlet for ministry by dancing on the praise team with Sharon. (Photographic proof is available upon request.)

Once, Jack discovered a friend’s son had come to work on construction in Houston and was living in a tent with three friends until he could find housing. Jack insisted the guys stay at his house. Sharon, with a heart too generous to turn away those in need, agreed, but under a few conditions – the boys could not bring their guns, drugs, or alcohol in the house and they had to attend church. They agreed, and through the Gigls’ kindness and discipleship, three of the four became Christians. One entered full-time ministry and serves the homeless today.

Around this time, Melody began dating a Rice University sophomore named Steve. While most people saw Steve’s wildness, Jack saw his potential to be a passionate follower of Christ. Jack told Steve that if he wanted to date Melody, he had to attend church and participate in Jack’s Bible study. Steve says Jack was the first Christian he saw that ever made him want to be a Christian. Due to Jack’s discipleship, Steve gave his life to Christ and later married Melody.

In the late 1980s, Jack felt a strong burden to begin praying more consistently for his family. He formed a group with two other couples, the Hoods and Weesners, called “Prayer Changes Things.” The couples met for over twenty-five years to pray for their families and saw many miracles happen as a result.

“Refirement”
At the age of 60, Jack felt called to end his career at Vilter, but instead of entering retirement, he entered a period he called “refirement,” where he devoted his time to pursuing God and ministering to others, while searching for coupons and cheering on the Green Bay Packers on the side.

Jack soon became a full-time volunteer prison chaplain with InnerChange, a program founded by Chuck Colson. Sharon joined him every week, and together they led the maximum-security inmates in studying the Bible and singing songs like “Father Abraham” – with full hand motions. In 1997, Jack received the Chuck Colson “Volunteer of the Year” award.

In 1998, Jack and Sharon moved to Dallas, TX, to be closer to their children and grandchildren. They became involved with Care Center, a faith-based halfway house and rehab center, where they loved, served, and shared the gospel with residents. Jack also volunteered with Need Him, a call center where people could ask questions about God. When friends would see Jack and ask him how he had been, he would often answer by sharing how many people he had been able to lead to salvation that week at Need Him.

Jack’s love for those in need was exceeded only by his love for his family. When his granddaughter, Kristin, began leading the children’s ministry at her church, he served as oversight and occasionally played the voice of God in her Bible skits. When Kassie was a teenager, he took her out for a special Valentine’s Day lunch, a tradition he continued every Valentine’s Day since then. He warmly welcomed Gabe, his grandson-in-law, into the family by teaching him how to play Sheepshead, Jack’s favorite German card game. Jack also supported Steve and Melody as they led a special night of ministry at Gateway Church called Habitation. He would drive almost an hour every week to attend the 6:00 am men’s prayer meeting. Steve called him their most faithful team member.

Golden Years
Jack’s golden years were marked with his characteristic faithfulness to God, love for others, and passion for evangelism. At the age of 74, he began leading a weekly Bible study at Reconciliation Outreach, an inner-city ministry for the homeless and recovering addicts, where he led many people to Christ. Even at the age of 84, Jack continued his decades-old tradition of reading through the Bible once every year and praying for his family every day.

In 2015, he was delighted to meet his first great-grandchild, Ella Grace Pelphrey, who quickly fell in love with her “Pop Pop.” Two years later, he was honored to welcome Jack Steven Pelphrey into the family, his first great-grandson, who was named after him. And in one of the greatest achievements of his life, he celebrated sixty years of faithful marriage to Sharon in 2017.

Going Home
God called Jack home on April 16, 2018, while he was resting peacefully at home. After leading hundreds of people to Christ, Jack went to heaven surrounded by his family members singing “Amazing Grace.” Although we will miss him dearly, we rejoice that he is finally home with his Savior. As his family and friends, we echo the words of Jesus: “Well done, good and faithful servant. Enter into the joy of your Lord.”

In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made to two of Jack’s favorite ministries:

Reconciliation Outreach
Attention Financial Department
1421 N. Peak St.
Dallas, TX 75204
Phone: (214) 545-6500
https://www.rodallas.org/p/53/make-a-donation

The 700 Club
http://my.cbn.com/pg/causes/tribute/?tribute_id=15355012 (If the link does not work, simply search under Tributes for “Gigl”)