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Charles Cerar posted a condolence
Tuesday, March 7, 2023
It was sad to hear of the passing of both Jack and Lola Coster. They are in the arms of the spirit above us all. Rest in peace.
I am Chuck Cerar. Jack, three others, and I were a close group of neighborhood kids. We spent our early years through high school in the city of West Allis, WI, a few miles west of Milwaukee.
I’ll always have memories of those early times with Jack. Namely:
• Working alongside Jack at his father’s service station.
• Our outdoor Scout troop activities.
• Our canoe trip in northern Minnesota, cut short by weather.
• Working with Jack at the Wisconsin State Fair. Jack was assigned to an exhibit building that displayed some of Wisconsin’s natural wonders found in its gardens, forests, etc. Fitting, eh? One of his jobs was a daily water wipe down of the floor. An older male fair attendee asked Jack what cleaning fluid he was using Jack replied, “Hydrogen Hydroxide.” The attendee was shocked and quickly walked away. We were both amused.
• And, last, the great summer of 1954 in the forests of north Idaho doing Western White Pine Blister Rust control work. Jack, who by then was obviously aiming toward his future in Forestry, arranged this job for about four of us. We rode to Idaho in Jack’s early-40s Chevy coupe . It got us all the way there but gave up on us on our return somewhere in Nebraska or Iowa. Jack left the car with a repair shop. We were able to hitchhike as far as Mason City, Iowa, where we got on a Greyhound bus to return home.
I will always treasure these good memories of a good person and wish I could add stories about Lola. But, she wasn’t in our class and I didn’t know her as well as I knew Jack.
My sympathies to the family. May they find solace in their memories of their wonderful parents.
Chuck Cerar
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Scott Geer posted a condolence
Saturday, October 8, 2022
I am just learning of Jack's (Dr. Coster to me) passing. He was my major prof at SFA in the later 70's. There was a group of us that stayed for graduate school thanks to the ravages of the Southern Pine Beetle and the money that flowed from various agencies into SFA for research. Dr. Coster was a kind, gentle man who expected a lot of us. He had a huge impact on my life, both academically and personally. His wife Lola also was kind and helped my wife, Noreen, and I adjust to married life and learn to walk together with Jesus. I will always remember Lola's singing in the ladies trio with Theda Busby and Carolyn (Stewart) Morely at Grace Bible Church. I am very thankful that the Lord put Jack and Lola into our lives. What a blessing.
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Kevin Moore Posted Sep 17, 2023 at 10:42 AM
Amen to all of that, Scott. I was also one of Jack’s bug grad students at SFASU. I remember his tremendous sense of humor. Jack listed his phone number on the card outside his tiny office as BR-549, which was Junior Samples used car lot number on Hee Haw. When the job of Dean came open, he campaigned for the position, wearing a cap and gown everywhere for a week. A great human being and wonderful teacher.
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Tribute Store
Sunday, January 31, 2021
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With loving memories of Jack, may you be comforted by the outpouring of love surrounding you. Thoughts of peace and courage for you.
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Catherine Stein posted a condolence
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
I was sad to hear of his passing. I was very lucky to have had him as my major professor at SFASU. He was a great advisor and a positive influence in my life.
—Catherine Stein
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Thomas Payne uploaded photo(s)
Wednesday, January 6, 2021
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Dear Lola, Cheryl, Sweet Kathy, Janie, Neil and families, my heart and eyes are full of tears that my friend, colleague, partner is gone. Oh Jackie, we did so much together, and I have so many wonderful memories of our 52 year plus friendship. I felt something was amiss when I made my annual birthday call Christmas Day and got no answer…or to the e-mail I sent after. You were looking down by then; likely shaking your head and saying, “Buddy, have a bit of “plot wine” on me. Plot wine was Spanata. Terrible and sweet. Jack teased me about it because I took a wine tasting class and was trying to educate him about wine tasting. He would unscrew the cap and say, “no rust, it must be OK”. He never drank it, just always teased me. Don’t think it really qualified as wine.
Jack and I met when I first joined Texas A & M University in early 1969. I was a green beginning professor in my late twenties just out of graduate school at UC Riverside. I was hired to be a forest entomologist to work on the Southern Pine Beetle (SPB). Jack, mature, sage and already employed, had left the Bureau of Land Management to come to A & M to study for a MS and later, PhD. He was working at the Boyce Thompson Institute for Plant Research (BTI) with the director, Peter Vite’, as his major professor, and colleague Leroy William as a lab partner. Both Jack and LeRoy were the muscle and brains for much of the research being done at BTI’s lab in Sour Lake Texas during that period. BTI was there at the behest of the Texas Forest Industry to do research on the beetle that was ravaging their commercial pine forests. They felt the Texas Forest Service and Texas A & M were not doing enough, so they hired their “own” research group. Jack and I hit it off from the beginning and became fast friends, and later research partners. I set up a mobile trailer lab at BTI from which I interacted with Jack often. He finished his PhD and took a position with the Texas A & M Extension Service in Overton. We still interacted and did a little cooperative stuff. Jack’s interest in research and education was strong and he left Extension and took a position as Professor of Forest Entomology at Stephen F. Austin State University. On occasion I stayed with Jack and Lola and family when working with Jack in Nacogdoches. It was wonderful getting to know them. I got to use Neil’s room equipped with aviation posters on the walls and model airplanes hanging from the ceiling, which took flight depending on if Jack and I had been out with his graduate students. Once Jack was at SFA we collaborated on more research which led to joint publications, presentations and travel on scientific endeavors. Much of our research was aimed at trying to control the SPB. We focused on inhibitors to keep the beetles from attacking trees. It did work. Our work took us too many international locations which developed into wonderful memories. One stands out. We spent time in Mexico. On one occasion we were on a National Science Foundation (NSF) trip exploring the possibility of a joint project with CONACIT (Mexico’s NSF), on SPB control. Our Mexican counterparts put us up in a great hotel in Acapulco. The next morning, we were taken to a small airport where we boarded a government helicopter to be flown into the mountains to see the beetle infestation. It was a small helicopter and I recall the pilots name was Michael Angel. He was cool. White shirt with epaulettes and aviator’s wire rimmed dark glasses. While flying us to our destination he “buzzed” over a cultivated crop nestled in a small valley. Out of a shack at the edge, a guy came running and started shooting up at us. Geez. Michael laughed and commented it was a marijuana patch and he couldn’t really hit us. We did get over the beetle infestation, then headed to a small village to meet the local foresters. This is where it was a big step back into the past. Michael landed the helicopter in the barren yard of a small white stucco church. From the church was a dirt street that led down to the village. It was like being in a Clint Eastwood western! Little kids and adults too, came running out to greet us. A big deal. We met the foresters in what looked like a cantina, equipped with old wooden tables and dirt floor. We gave them our two cents about what we saw and thought. It was getting toward late afternoon and one guy said you better leave. The pistoleros will be coming soon. He was not kidding. There were not open roads into the village as they had been washed away, so the pistoleros came on horseback each evening to take from them. Obviously, this was an exceptional experience for us, but we did have others, such as being locked out of our hotel one late night in Innsbruck Austria and sleeping on benches in the train station in Freiburg Germany when there were no hotel rooms available, to the many encounters at May’s Place and Twin Bridges in Sour Lake. All through the years Jack, as dean at WVa, and I, as dean and vice chancellor at MU, have stayed in contact and re-lived our times together. Over those years, I imagine our memories have been “modified”. But, still, they were are of great times.
Jack leaves a great legacy. The model of a loving husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, friend and colleague. His life touched so many. The service he gave through his faith and church benefitted many less fortunate. His role in education touched the lives of thousands of students and the multiplier effect will live on, and on. His research provided findings which benefited the industry. I love you Jack and will forever have you in my heart. Thank you for your friendship and spiritual presence. You have always been an inspiration to me. Have fun up there “Buddy”. I hope I get to make it there someday. In the meantime, you’ll get a Happy Birthday call from my heart each Christmas Day.
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Iral Ragenovich posted a condolence
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
This is such sad news - and my heart is heavy. Jack was my major professor - I will always remember my mentor, and the friendship that continued after. His sage advice helped direct my career, and I have remembered his counsel throughout. I appreciated his commitment to integrity, science, and his Christian beliefs. My thoughts and prayers are with Lola and his family at the loss of this wonderful, wonderful person.
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Kay Books posted a condolence
Tuesday, January 5, 2021
Jack, you will be sorely missed here at Booksamillion. All of us loved seeing you every morning and serving you your coffee and chocolate chip cookie.
Your BAMily
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GERARD HERTEL posted a condolence
Monday, January 4, 2021
It was an honor for me to work with Jack in the Southern Pine Beetle Program.
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Bill Hoffard posted a condolence
Monday, January 4, 2021
My beloved major professor. A great scientist, a great teacher, and a great man. I never heard him say anything negative about anyone. I’m a better person for having known him. RIP, Jack.
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Joe Pase posted a condolence
Thursday, December 31, 2020
I just heard that Jack had stepped into eternity with his Lord and Savior. My condolences to Lola and the family. I have always admired Jack and his life. He was my major professor in grad school at SFASU in Nacogdoches, TX. In fact, I was his first graduate student when he began his teaching career. He helped me with my first peer reviewed publication and helped me land my first professional job after grad school. My career as a forest entomologist in TX can be traced back to Jack's input. Thank you, Jack, for the influence you had in my life. My prayers are with the family.
Joe Pase
Lufkin, TX
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Bruce Rzengota posted a condolence
Thursday, December 31, 2020
Jack will always be missed by me. I am so glad our lives crossed. Blessings to the family. Rev. Bruce Rzengota
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Carol Lee posted a condolence
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
I remember Jack when I was young. His father and my father were brothers. We connected again because of our love researching our family tree. He gave me so very much information. I wish I could have visited him in our later years. I want to offer Lola and your family my deepest condolences. Jack is rejoicing in the Lord! You will all be in my prayers.
Carol Coster Lee
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Dorothy Skidmore posted a condolence
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
Dear Lola and family,
I was sorry to read about Jack's passing, and I am sending you my deepest sympathy. He led a very full life, and I hope your memories of him will give
you sustenance and comfort. You are in my prayers. May God give you peace.
Dorothy Skidmore
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Larry Efaw posted a condolence
Wednesday, December 30, 2020
A Godly man whom I admired. He was the salt of the earth. He helped me walk through a situation using Gods word. He and his lovely wife Lola were good friends. I will miss him on this earth. Our Heavenly Father welcomed him and I’m sure has him busy with kingdom work. Praise be to God for his life!
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Jan Yeager posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
We lost a prince of a fellow when Jack passed away. He was an admired colleague who always provided guidance and direction for me when we were fellow administrators in the Davis College. I so enjoyed social times with both Lola and Jack over the years. I share in the family's loss. With deep sympathy, Jan Yeager
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Peter V. Schaeffer posted a condolence
Tuesday, December 29, 2020
I am very sorry to learn of Jack's death. He was a very fine person, a great colleague, and an excellent administrator. He gave me good advise when I asked for it, welcomed me into his home when I first came to West Virginia. He left a legacy and I am grateful to him!
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The family of Jack Eugene Coster uploaded a photo
Monday, December 28, 2020
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