Obituary of John Allen Stary
John (Jack) Allan Stary, 89, of Camp Verde, Arizona, died peacefully in his home
on Monday, January 28, 2019. He was born on November 13, 1929 in Detroit Lakes,
Minnesota to P.F. Stary and Winnifred Daley Stary.
Jack earned a Bachelor of Arts from St. John’s University in Collegeville,
Minnesota, served in the Army’s Counter Intelligence Corps, and completed a Master’s
of Arts in Education at the University of Arizona. Jack’s career included operating a
familyowned business, Northern Diesel, with his brotherinlaw, John Miller, teaching business and Latin at Canyon Del Oro High School in Tucson and later at Flagstaff High School, working for United Electric in Flagstaff, and finally working as an accountant for
the City of Flagstaff. He retired from the City of Flagstaff in 1995 and was lauded for
both his dedicated service and the lunchhour cribbage game he hosted on a neardaily
basis. Jack was devoted to his family, and above all, his wife of 44 years, Claire.
He was a devout Catholic and for many years, Sunday morning found him directing the
choir at St. Pius X or Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Churches. After retiring to Camp
Verde, Jack served as the finance chairman for St. Frances Cabrini Catholic Church
and was a regular presence at daily mass and adoration. Jack was enormously proud of his IrishAmerican
heritage and if you happened to run into him on St. Patrick’s day ... well, let’s hope you were wearing green. He loved
cribbage, camping, horseshoes, and hunting. Jack was a talented craftsman and was
always building, modifying, or repairing. He cut his own firewood, mended his own
clothes, and relished doing his own taxes with a precision and tenacity that probably
made IRS agents cry. He was acutely interested in the goingson
of each of his family members and could execute a crossexamination
worthy of Perry Mason.
Jack had a deep, beautiful singing voice. He smoked a pipe—like all the best Irishmen—and
enjoyed a good gin martini with dinner. He had a wry sense of humor and might have
been a little stubborn. Jack was loved and cherished and will be indescribably missed.
Jack is preceded in death by his parents, brother Bill Stary, and sister Mary
Anastasia Miller. He is survived by his wife Claire Stary; brother Paul Stary;
stepchildren Debbie Gallagher and Chuck Bercier; grandchildren Kerry Milazzo,
Shawna Brownell, Cristen Bercier, Elizabeth Robinson, Robert Granger, and CJ Bercier;
greatgrandchildren Garion, Emma, Caleb, Mehkiya, Aria, Damon, Wesley, and
Herschel; and nephews Steve Miller, Jack Miller, Mike Miller, Paul Miller, Joe Miller, and
Matt Miller.
Services will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Monday, February 4, 2019 at St. Frances
Cabrini Catholic Church, 781 S. Cliffs Parkway, Camp Verde, Arizona 86322.
