Michael Jaquish
Age - 88
November 28, 2023
Michael Paul Jaquish, age 88, of Athens, TN, passed on to his heavenly home on November 23, 2023. Mike was born in Narrows, Virginia on December 18, 1934. His parents later moved to Englewood to work with family in a local hosiery mill. Mike grew up with a keen interest in morse code, amateur radio, electronics and mechanical engineering. He was a graduate of Etowah High School and then attended Tennessee Polytechnic Institute in Cookeville where he studied engineering.
Mike left college to join the US Army and entered radio teletype and high speed radio schools in the Signal Corp at Camp Gordon, GA. He married Merna Ruth Swayne June 18, 1955 before crossing the Atlantic on a cargo ship. He was stationed in the village of Stansted Mountfitchet in England, north of London, in 1955. He later moved into medic training and became a pharmacy lab tech. Merna joined him soon after for the remainder of his tour. Together, they traveled much of post-war Europe and even honeymooned in Scotland. After he left the Army he went back to college and graduated, earning a degree in engineering from TPI.
In 1959 he began woring for Raytheon in Britsol in testing engineering. They later moved to Brigham City, Utah with their two children, Kathy and Mike Allen. Mike worked for Thiokol Chemical Co. in the Minuteman missile program in Operations Control. In 1965 he began his technical writing career with Arnold Engineering Development Center and the family moved back to Tennessee and began life in Tullahoma. AEDC was an engineer's dream. Air Force, rocket and space personnel were in the midst of the space race and the ICBM missile program, testing rocket motors and air frames at the largest flight simulation test facility in the world.
During this time Mike was an active church member and helped in the local Presbyterian church youth group. He loved hiking, camping and enjoying the outdoors. He taught his kids outdoor skills and went on constant canoe trips on the local rivers. He was a member of the local radio club and loved using morse code and voice to talk with other ham radio operators around the world. His call sign was W4WJH. He spent years providing radio communications for Tullahoma and the state during emergencies and served as Tennessee Emergency Coordinator for a year with the Amateur Radio Relay League.
His love of writing and helping others on their career path led to his published book, "Personal Resume Preparation. " His career progressed into the Human Resources field with a focus on computers which led to developing database information for AEDC. This led to supervising the dispensary of nurses and lab techs thanks to his military experience. Over the next few years Mike did more computer work as the Manager of Tennessee Division for Anderson Computers, then a move to Atlanta as a computer expert with Crawlord Long Hospital of Emory University. His HR experience led to compensation work for the hospital; later consulting work, and finally HR and compensation for Central Georgia Health System in Macon, GA. He was elected president of the Human Resources Systems Professionals and was included in "Who's Who in the South and Southwest" and also Personalities of the South. "
After retirement Mike and Merna moved to Athens, TN where they both were active members of Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. Mike loved helping those in his community and volunteered at the local library teaching computer classes, helping at the history museum and was always offering expertise on any church projects needed. During this time he was also worked from home as a book editor, index editor, copy writer and taught part time engineering & drafting classes at TN College of Applied Technology.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife Merna Swayne Jaquish, Charles (father) and Leona (mother) Jaquish, Allen (father-i-in-law) and Ruth (mother-in-law) Swayne, Joseph (brother) Jaquish, Bill (brother-in-law) and Sonia (sister-in-law) Williams, Kathry (daughter) Jaquish Engebretsen and Engebretsen and Harold (son-in-law) Engebretsen.
He is survived by his son, Michael Allen Jaquish (Sara), grandchildren Amber Bradner (Zach), Darrell Franklin, Holly Piro (Luke), Amy Mockridge (Larry), Kristen Williams (Ashley), Michael Engebretsen (Michelle), Samuel Engebretsen (Linda) and Charles Engebretsen, 17 great and 1 great-great grandchildren, Patrick (brother) Jaquish (Brenda)m Rebecca (sister-in-law) Jaquish (Joseph) , Doug (brother-in-law) Swayne (Shirley) and several cousins. nieces and nephews.
Memorial service will be conducted, 2:00 pm, Friday, December 1, 2023 at Mars Hill Presbyterian Church. Interment will be 2:30 pm, Monday, December 4, 2023, at National Cemetery in Chattanooga with military honors by the US Army.
Donations in his memory may be made to Tennessee College of Applied Technologies at tcatathens. edu or to Mars Hill Presbyterian Church marshillpres. org.Show more
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