Obituary of Jack Burch

Jack Burch, age 74, of Manchester, Tennessee, passed away peacefully at home surrounded by his family on July 29, 2022. Jack was born in Peoria, Illinois on October 18, 1947. When he began high school, his family moved to Marshalltown, Iowa. In high school, Jack excelled in sports and academics, while also working with his father on the Chicago/Northwestern Railroad where his father was the yardmaster. Jack was all-region in football, playing both offense and defense. He was all-state in track. He set multiple school records on the swim team. Most importantly, he met his future wife of fifty-three years, Barbara, and they began their courtship in high school. Following high school, Jack attended the University of Iowa, where he studied to become a physical therapist. He put himself through school by working on the railroad. A normal week would be attending class during the week and working up to 40 hours on the weekend at the railroad, where he was often given the least desirable assignments by his father. If a train derailed between Friday and Sunday within 300 miles of Marshalltown, Iowa, there was an excellent chance that Jack would be assigned to clean up the mess. Jack talked fondly of his time on the railroad, and that time helped build the work ethic that defined his later career, and he worked to instill the same trait in his children. Upon graduation from physical therapy school at the University of Iowa, Jack owned and operated physical therapy clinics in Wisconsin, Oklahoma, Texas, Kentucky, West Virginia, Florida, and Tennessee. In 1981, Jack chose to move his family to Manchester, Tennessee due to its central location to limit his time away from his family while managing his clinics. In 1988, Jack chose to focus on his business in Tennessee and sold his interests in other states. Jack was the director of physical therapy at the Medical Center of Manchester for twenty years. In 2001, Jack purchased the former YMCA building on Interstate Drive to establish Delta Rehab, where he offered physical and occupational therapy. Jack retired from the practice of physical therapy in 2015. During the course of forty-five years of practice, he assisted countless people in regaining their physical independence after surgery or injury. Jack’s top priority was always his family. Working as a team, Jack and Barbara raised three children, who all became professionals in their respective professions in law, business, and medicine. To put them through college, Jack took additional work in the evenings and weekends attending to folks who needed home health assistance. When Jack and Barbara’s parents were aging and in need of assistance, Jack took the lead in moving all four of them to Manchester, which allowed them to age, and ultimately pass in peace in their homes. Together, he and Barbara sacrificed a great deal of the time that ordinarily would have lent itself to traveling and enjoying life after raising their children, and devoted that time to caring for their parents. Jack never complained. He saw it as a privilege and his duty. Jack enjoyed playing golf with his family and his many friends. In his later years, Jack was constantly pursuing one home project or another at his home on Wayside Road. Jack was preceded in death by his parents, Roger and Marcia Burch, Barbara’s parents, Dan and Doris Sheets, and his brother, Chuck Burch. Jack is survived by his loving wife of fifty-three years, Barbara, and their three children, Eric Burch of Manchester, Megan (Chris) Jackson of Manchester, and Dr. Michael Burch of Hoover, Alabama. He was known as Papa to his eight grandchildren, Bryce Jackson, Auggie Burch, Emma Burch, Kailey Jackson, Abigail Burch, Alex Burch, Maci Jackson, and Samuel Burch. He is also survived by his sister, Janet (Dan) Miller of Lenexa, Kansas, and many nieces and nephews. Jack will be sorely missed by all of them, and all have benefited from knowing and learning from the great man that was Jack Burch. He will be remembered for generations to come. We love you Jack. In honoring Jack’s wishes, the family will be holding a private celebration of life. The family appreciates all of the kind words and prayers from many friends and family across the country. In lieu of flowers, the family is requesting donations to be made to the Sportsmen & Businessmen’s Charitable Organization, P. O. Box 521, Manchester, Tennessee, 37349-0521.