.. OBITUARY OF JOHN A. "JACK" MAXWELL, JR. John A. "Jack" Maxwell Jr., retired editor of The Repository, passed away unexpectedly Friday morning, May 28, 2010 at his apartment at The Waterford in North Canton. He was 95. He was born May 14, 1915 in Bridgeport, Ohio, the son of J. Alexander and M. Lewella Fox Maxwell. He came to Canton with the family in 1922, attended Clarendon Elementary School and Lincoln Junior High School and was graduated from McKinley High School in 1931. He earned a Bachelor of Arts degree with majors in English and History from the College of Wooster in 1936. He began work at The Repository in September 1936 as a sports writer. He served successively as a general assignment reporter, assistant city editor and makeup and features editor but continued to cover McKinley High School sports and write a sports column until commissioned an ensign in the U.S. Navy Supply Corps in May 1944 (the newsroom was short-handed because of losses of staff members to the armed services). He served in the U.S. Navy until April 1946 with 14 months in the Pacific aboard fleet issue cargo ships. Separated from the Navy as a lieutenant (j.g.) he returned to The Repository as news editor but left again June 30, 1951 when he was called back into the Navy during the Korean War. He was stationed in the Bureau of Supplies and Accounts, Navy Department, Washington, D.C., first as associate editor and then, for the last year, as editor of the official Supply Corps magazine, The Newsletter. Following separation from the Navy as a lieutenant June 30, 1953, he was named editor of The Marion (Ohio) Star and assumed that position Aug. 1, 1953. He remained editor of The Star until Sept. 1, 1969 when he returned to Canton to become editor of The Repository Oct. 1, 1969. He retired May 31, 1980. After retirement he worked 15 months in the News Service Office at the College of Wooster as a staff writer and consultant. In May 1984 he became associated with the Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce as a public relations consultant handling the publicity for the Pro Football Hall of Fame Festival, a position he held until retiring again in August 1998. He was a former member of the American Society of Newspaper Editors and of the Society of Professional Journalists (formerly Sigma Delta Chi). He had been a Rotarian since September 1953, was president of the Rotary Club of Marion in 1958-59 and the Rotary Club of Canton in 1975-76. He was governor of District 665, Rotary International (now 6650) in 1982-83, supervising the activities of 44 clubs in northeastern Ohio. He twice was a member of a nominating committee for director of Rotary International, serving as chairman the second time. He was a Rotary Paul Harris Fellow and a Rotary International Benefactor. In July 2002, he was the recipient of a District 6650 Service Above Self Award for long service to his club and the district. He was the editor of The Rotogram, the Canton club's weekly bulletin, from 1983 until July 1, 2008. He was a member and past president of Malone Associates; a former member of the Advisory Board of Buckeye Council, Boy Scouts of America, and of the Executive Board; was a past board member of Junior Achievement of Stark County; and was a charter member of the Advisory Board of Information and Referral Service, Voluntary Action Center, United Way of Central Stark County. He was a former member and past chairman of the Community Salute Committee, Canton Regional Chamber of Commerce, and a former member of the Chamber's Teacher Recognition Committee. He also was a member of the Chamber's "Keep America Beautiful/Keep Canton Clean" Committee. He was a recipient of the Chamber's Award of Appreciation for distinguished community service in 1991. He was a member of the Alumni Board, the College of Wooster, from 1980-82 and was a recipient of the John D. McKee Memorial Award for outstanding service to the college in 1989. He joined Church of the Savior, United Methodist (then First Methodist) in 1924, was a member until moving to Marion in 1953 and rejoined when returning to Canton in 1969. . He had been chairman of the Council on Ministries and lay leader of the church, served 18 years (six 3-year terms) on the Board of Trustees and was chairman twice, was a longtime member of the Administrative Board, was a former member of the Staff/Parish Relations Committee, was the 1999 president of United Methodist Men and was a member of the Stewardship and Communications committees. He was a church usher from 1969 until 2006 and was longtime chairman of the communion ushers. He also had been a member of the Ordained Ministry Board of the Canton District, United Methodist Church, and of the Editorial Committee of the Communications Board of the East Ohio Conference, United Methodist Church. He was married to the former Margaret W. "Peg" Winchell, a Canton native, Aug.20, 1940, and they were married 52 years and 10 months. She passed away June 11, 1993 after an extended illness. He is survived by a son, Dr. Richard A. Maxwell, a Wooster pediatrician; and his wife, Debra Zeiters; a daughter, Mrs. David M. "Bobbi" Young, a retired teacher from the Plain Local School District, and her husband, David, a financial administrator and faculty member at Kent State University. There are six grandchildren -- Aaron (Michelle) and Margaret Maxwell, Melissa Young Baker (Brian), and Dr. Alexander Young, Kathryn and Jennifer Gabriele and four great grandchildren, Sasha Maxwell, Olivia, Graceyn and Owen Baker. Calling hours will be Tuesday evening 5-8:00 p.m. at the Arnold Funeral Home in Canton. On Wednesday following private family burial in North Lawn Cemetery, a memorial service will be held at 11:30 a.m. at Church of the Savior United Methodist with Rev. Ed Fashbaugh and Rev. Dr. William R. Harvey officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Church of the Savior United Methodist Church, the Canton Rotary Endowment Fund, or The College of Wooster. (Arnold-Canton 330-456-7291) www.arnoldfuneralhome.com