I am very sorry to hear this news, although it was expected. Recently, Jack himself had reported he was in stage 4 cancer and would not likely see the end of the year. His passing is only about three weeks after his wife Judy died (cancer too...).
Jack Deming was a member of the US Benchrest Hall of Fame. He was an early leader of IBS and the guiding light and workhorse at South Creek Rod and Gun in Fassett, PA for many years. Jack could shoot in very tough conditions. He was one of the few guys that could make the 6x47 drive tacks. In fact, sometime in the early 80s the famed Olympic small bore shooter Gary Anderson showed up at the IBS Nationals. Gary shot Jack's 6x47 and declared it the most accurate rifle he had every shot. I think Gary shot a record at 200 that day on the way to an agg win.
To some, Jack was just a cranky SOB that would beat your ass. He was one of the "big guns". In later years, as I got to know him more, he showed his more mellow side. I recall taking my son to the South Creek Winter League matches and him offering to let my son shoot for free. He ran the matches at South Creek and gave back a whole lot more to benchrest than he took.
His wife of many decades, Judy, was a real sweetheart and a very attractive woman. In the late 70s and 80s she would stroll around the various benchrest ranges with a big smile and erect posture which put her "talents" before the pulchritude starved shooters. She flirted freely with the mostly male shooters, which drove Jack bonkers. He was a bit of a jealous husband shall we say. You had better not be caught staring at Judy or else you would get Jack's "fish-eyes".
I miss them both.
Jeff
