Miller Jack Jr. was never a sworn police officer but he was an important member of the Orange Police Department, earning the nickname of “unofficial assistant chief of police.”
“Mr. Jack,” as all the officers called him, was the city custodian in charge of the police station for a quarter of a century. He started in the small, one-story building behind city hall and retired a few years after the department moved to the two-story station in 2001.
He died earlier this month at the age of 86. A celebration of his life will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday at Mount Sinai Baptist Church in Orange.
“He wasn’t just the janitorial staff. He wasn’t just the head custodian. He was part of the family down there,” said Steve Jones, a retired OPD major.
Detective Captain Robert Enmon recalled that when he started with the department, Mr. Jack was introduced to him as “the unofficial assistant chief of police.”
“He was a fantastic guy,” Enmon said. “He could sit there and talk to you and make you feel better.”
Jones, too talked about Mr. Jack’s ability to counsel officers. “Everyone respected Mr. Jack and went to him for advice,” he said.
Plus there was his laugh. “You could hear him laugh down the hall and you knew it was Mr. Jack,” Enmon said.
Jones said Mr. Jack had retired from working at a local shipyard, but a problem with the pension fund left him without an income. Jones said he wasn’t bitter about the loss. He simply went on and got a job.
Enmon said Mr. Jack was dedicated to the officers. He remembered working late at night one weekend and a plumbing problem developed. He called Mr. Jack to ask about where to find a tool to fix the problem. Mr. Jack came up in the night and repaired it himself.
He could do more than plumbing. Mr. Jack served as coach for the cops during their annual basketball challenge against the Orange firefighters. He was animated in coordinating the plays and following the games.
Jones said Mr. Jack was dedicated to the community, including his lodge and church. He was a longtime member of the Gate City Masonic Lodge and a trustee at Mount Sinai Baptist Church.
Mr. Jack’s obituary says he was born in Port Arthur and lived most of his life in Orange. He was also a veteran of the U.S. Army and he will be buried Houston National Cemetery.
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