John "Jack" Juratovic's Obituary
Big Rapids - John S. "Jack" Juratovic, 79, of Big Rapids, passed away Monday, October 15, 2018 at Spectrum Health Big Rapids Hospital, surrounded by his loved ones.
He was born January 3,1939, in Pittsburgh, PA, the son of Stephen and Helen (Sharrow) Juratovic, and graduated in 1959 from East Aurora (NY) High School.
In 1965, Jack graduated from the Cleveland Institute of Art, and took a job as a designer for Ford Motor Co. While there, he met some of the artists that would help him found the Automotive Fine Arts Society (AFAS), the world's first official group of automotive artists.
After tiring of corporate life, Jack and a friend started their own design business, making aesthetic additions for sports cars such as Camaros and Mustangs. An artist at heart, his passion for automotive art led him to devote his talent full-time to that field. Jack has spent decades creating and collecting automotive art, and had numerous commissions for calendars and posters as well.
In 1980, Jack married the girl of his dreams, Janet (nee Life). Following her death in 2008, Jack moved to Big Rapids to be near family. He loved to assist with his grandsons' Little League and Rocket Football practices, and enjoyed bringing his 1955 Buick "Bulldog Wagon" to the endzone at Ferris Football games.
Jack is survived by his son Mark (Beth) Thompson of Dahlonega, GA; 2 daughters, Julie Taylor (Mike Mohnke) of Big Rapids, Wendy (Jason) Baldwin of Daniels Island, SC; 4 grandsons, Nick (fiancée Hayley), Zack, Ethan, and Nolan Baldwin; his brother Mike (Lynne) of East Aurora, NY; his sister Norma Jean Anderson of Tuscon, AZ; and several nieces and nephews.
A Celebration of Jack's Life will be on Friday, October 19, from 4-7 p.m., at the Mohnke Funeral Home in Big Rapids. Final resting place will be in the Hungerford Cemetery in Norwich Township. Memorial contributions in his name may be made for the Big Rapids Rocket Football program, with envelopes available at the funeral home.
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