Born Jack Richard Gaydar, in western Pennsylvania to parents that were young adults during the depression, the greatest generation.

Jack’s father quit grade school in the 6th grade and worked in the coal mines as a “Breaker Boy” to help support his family of 13. His father was a USN veteran of WWII, gunner – middle turret of the USS Texas, BB 35 and is buried in Rittman National Cemetery.

Jack’s mother graduated 8th grade and worked as a waitress. The only child of Jacob and Anna Gaydar, began work at the age of 14 as a “White Elephant” on construction sites.

Raised in a blue-collar family that had the American Dream, Jack’s parents worked hard to allow him to attended 12 years of parochial school. Jack then went on to technical school and became a certified welder. After the typical layoffs of the later 1970’s, Jack went to college to study engineering where his thirst for self-betterment and continuing education flourished and has remained a constant in his life to this day.

Jack’s son Matt is an Ohio Peace Office Patrolman for the Cincinnati Police Department and his daughter Jacqueline is a veterinary assistant in Florida.

Jack has worked in the field of engineering for 40 years and 25 years in land surveying. In the evenings, Jack has taught at The University of Akron and Ohio Training Committee of Ohio (water and wastewater plant operators). During his time teaching at the University of Akron, he created 2 scholarships - the Debora Lee Wootton Scholarship for Women and Minorities and the Thomas Michael Besch, Chief Warrant Office Scholarship for US veterans, from all 5 branches, with preference to combat veterans to study surveying, mapping and GIS.

Jack has spent more than 30 years in the public sector working as an engineer/surveyor and public servant.

His hobbies include restoration of 1960-1980 muscle cars, dog and cats, reading technical books, and most of all helping people in need.