Gene Charles Jaco

Gene Charles Jaco passed away on October 15, 2024, in Hays, Kansas at the age of 92.

He was born on September 27, 1932, to Harry Morris and Inez Marie (Brown) Jaco in Nowata, Oklahoma. He was united in marriage to Phyllis Maureen Mock on June 17, 1951, at the First Christian Church in Plainville, and the couple was blessed with three children: Jana, Michael, and Jill.

Before moving to Plainville with his family in 1938, Gene lived in St John, Kansas, and on the Saline River near Fairport, Kansas. He attended Plainville schools and graduated in May 1950. He loved sports, lettering in football, basketball, and track. In his Senior year, he made the first Team All-State.

At the age of 6, he met the love of his life, Phyllis Maureen Mock. They grew up together and spent lots of time riding bikes and horses, swimming, skating, going to the movies on Saturdays, and just enjoying life. They were blessed with 70 years of marriage.

Gene attended Fort Hays State University, where he lettered four years as a left halfback on offense and safety on defense, returning punts and kickoffs. During those four years in college, Gene worked at Gogleman Ford Co. in the body shop and planned on teaching math, industrial arts, physical education, and driver education. His first teaching and coaching job was in Florence, Kansas, where he taught industrial arts and driver education. In the summer, he coached Legion baseball. However, due to an accident that hurt his back, he took a desk job in Wichita at Boeing for a brief time before a new teaching opportunity arrived.

In 1958, he signed a contract to teach and coach in Woodston, Kansas, teaching industrial arts, math, driver's ed, and physical education. In his third year, he purchased a farm six miles south of Woodston. Phyllis and Gene began milking cows, raising chickens and hogs, and planting a large garden. They sold the products their farm produced for extra income.

Gene moved his family to Plainville in 1964 when the state began closing small high schools. He taught math, physical education, and driver's education and coached boys' basketball and track. He stopped coaching two years later and began farming more. He served as the athletic director at PHS, was a commissioner for two leagues, and served on the state committee. He stopped teaching in 1983 and became a Rooks County Commissioner in 1984, where he served until 1992. He continued to farm and ranch until 2006.

Gene is survived by his three children: Jana (Ray) Kuhn of Overland Park, Michael (Bonnie) Jaco of Springfield, Colo., and Jill (Mark) Brin of Godley, Texas; five grandchildren, Jesse (Jena) Jaco, Braxton Brin, Adam Kuhn, Aaron (Stephanie) Kuhn, and Amber Kuhn; and four great-grandchildren: Tyler Jaco, Style Brin, and Grayson and Callahan Kuhn.

Gene joins his wife, Phyllis, parents, Harry and Inez Jaco, brother, John W. Jaco Sr., and nephew, John W. Jaco, Jr., in his heavenly home.

A Funeral Service will be held on Friday, October 18, 2024, at the First Christian Church in Plainville at 11 a.m. The family will receive friends on Thursday, from 6 p.m. until 7:30 p.m. at the funeral home in Plainville.

Memorials are suggested to First Christian Church or Ascension Living at Via Christi and may be sent to Plumer-Overlease Funeral Home, 320 SW 2nd St., Plainville, KS 67663.

Online condolences may be left for the family at www.plumeroverlease.com