Obituary: John (Jack) Stenner
John (Jack) Stenner, a longtime Orange resident, died peacefully in his sleep on February 23, 2024. Jack is survived by his loving wife of sixty-six years, Joan (Martin) Stenner, and his beloved daughters, Tracy Zolla and husband, Mark of Duxbury, MA, Kim Penwell and husband, Steve of Westport, CT, and Lee Wilson and husband, Peter of New Fairfield, CT. Also, by his amazing grandchildren Trevor, Alexander, Bryan, Hope and Victoria, all of whom he loved dearly. Jack was preceded in death by his sister, Dawdie (Stenner) Gemma.
Jack was born to Doris (Wilson) and Maurice Stenner on July 19, 1933, in Brooklyn, NY. After high school and amidst the draft for the Korean War, he enlisted in the Navy, serving from 1951 to 1955. He loved his time in the Navy and although he served on many ships, his favorite was the destroyer. He quickly rose through the ranks and reached the rank of Petty Officer (QM1) by the end of his Navy career. He appreciated both the extensive travel and all of the life skills he acquired while serving. He served in Greenland, the Mediterranean, Europe and South America, including participating in NATO's first exercise, "Operation Mainbrace".
After the Navy, Jack began a successful career in printing. Inspired by relatives in the business, Jack attended classes at the Manhattan School of Printing. He later started his own printing business, Camera Graphics, which he sold to Sorg Printing of NYC. Next, he worked for De La Rue of Great Britain, followed by Grumman Aircraft in the late 6os, where he was proud to have worked helping the USA win the "race to the moon" and did publicity work for the Lunar Module. He retired from printer Kurt H. Volk of Milford, after a successful 32-year run. At Volk he was Planning and Development Manager and earned nine patent awards along the way.
Jack had many passions. He developed a love of horses from watching his beloved blacksmith grandfather at work at his forge in Brooklyn. He developed a keen interest in horse racing and owned several horses over the years. He was a licensed pilot and would have loved to travel to outer space if he could. He was an avid sportsman as a young man and continued to be a sports fan his entire life. He loved baseball and football, first the Brooklyn Dodgers, and later the "maybe next year Mets and Giants". He liked to bet on horses and on the markets, and was a voracious reader, starting each day with The NYTimes, WSJ and the local papers.
But most of all, Jack loved his family. He was a loving, gentle man with a great sense of humor. His passing leaves a great hole in all of our hearts.
Family and friends are invited to gather on Friday, March 1, 2024 from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at the Cody-White Funeral Home, 107 Broad St., Milford. A Funeral Service will be celebrated on Saturday, March 2, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Orange Congregational Church, 205 Meeting House Ln., Orange (MEET DIRECTLY AT CHURCH). Burial will follow at Orange Center Cemetery, Orange Center Rd., Orange. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to a charity of choice. To leave online condolences, please visit our website at www.codywhitefuneralservice.com.
