Jack Joseph Maria Wormer

Jack Joseph Maria Wormer of San Diego CA died on September 27, 2022 of end stage renal disease, hypertensive cardiovascular disease, and diabetes at the age of 83. He was born Jacobus Josephus Henricus Maria Wormer on February 26, 1939 in Kediri on the island of Java, Indonesia, at that time a colony of The Netherlands. His parents were Hermanus Joannes Wilhelmus Wormer and Lucie Wormer- Mathéron, who were born in Ambarawa and Djakarta (Batavia) on Java, Indonesia respectively.

When Japan invaded Indonesia in 1942, three-year-old Jack and his family were interned in concentration camps. His beloved mother died in camp from food poisoning which went unmedicated due to her having a Netherlands passport. The death of his "Memma" was the seminal event in Jack's life. In early 1950, the extended family made a 3-week ocean voyage on the M.S. Oranje from Jakarta to Amsterdam to be repatriated to The Netherlands.

At the age of 20, Jack followed his brother John and sister-in-law Grace to San Diego where he lived most of his American life except for his years in Redondo Beach and Minneapolis. Jack served his adopted country in the United States Air Force before becoming a naturalized U.S. citizen and served his community as president of his condominium homeowners' association.

In his professional life, Jack earned a degree in physics from California State University Long Beach. He worked as a nurse, then an engineer with Ampex Memory Bank in the South Bay and on the Patriot missile program at General Dynamics in San Diego, and lastly a bus driver for special education students. Jack was an avid photographer and sailor for many years. He traced his family genealogy back four generations, and his travels took him far and near to keep close to his large family and long-term friends.

Jack was preceded in death by his brothers Theo of The Netherlands and John, Ben, and Kees "Neil" of California, and sisters-in-law Nona of Pennsylvania and Grace and Gysina of California. He is survived by his brothers Tony (Ann) of Georgia and Peter of Texas; sister Hedwig (Joop) Verburg-Wormer of The Netherlands; sisters-in-law Corry of The Netherlands and Elisabeth of California; 15 nieces and nephews; 30 great-nieces and nephews; and 8 great-great-nieces and nephews (one of whom is his namesake), and all of whom he made to feel special. Jack was a cheerleader for the various celebrations of our lives. His unfailing warmth, quirky humor, and meandering expositions will be missed.

Jack was blessed (as were we) with 13 bonus years as the result of his kidney transplant. His family appreciates the care that Jack received from Kaiser Permanente and Scripps Hospital LaJolla and from his neighbors Bill and Michelle Jones and Sheryl Conner.

At Jack's request, no memorial service will be held, but a later date will see a family picnic and private scattering of his ashes off the coast of Oceanside and near his birthplace of Kediri. Arrangements are being made by Featheringill Mortuary of San Diego CA. Online condolences may be given at "memorialwebsites.legacy.com/jackwormer".

In lieu of flowers, please send donations to support the Scripps Green Hospital, Organ Transplant Unit.

To DONATE ONLINE, go to (https://donate.scripps.org/giving/scrippshealth), select Scripps Green Hospital in the drop down box, check box "This donation is in memory of someone special", enter First/Last Name: Jack Wormer, select Occasion: For Organ Transplant, and select Special Message: For Organ Transplant.

To DONATE BY CHECK please make your check payable to: Scripps Health, write "For Organ Transplant/Jack Wormer" in the memo, and MAIL to Scripps Organ Transplant, ATTN: Michelle Meyer at 10666 N. Torrey Pines Rd. #200N, La Jolla, CA 92037.