Jack King Partlow

Throughout his life, Jack tried to live up to the prayer he wrote: “Dear Lord, may I live my life so that when my time on earth is o’er, no person will say “I didn’t know he was a Christian”. Jack was born March 8th, 1926 in his aunt’s house in Santa Ana, CA, to Rose & Glen Partlow of El Segundo, CA. He attended school from kindergarten through high school in El Segundo. While still a teen-ager he taught a Sunday school class and was a Boy Scout leader. After graduating from high school at 17, he enlisted in the Marine Corp. Upon completion of basic and advanced training he served with the Third Marine Air Wing in the Pacific area during WWII. After his discharge he was still too young for his ambition of being a Police Officer, so he took a job at the local Ford agency until he reached 21. During this time he met Gene Madray and they dated for two years before they were married on December 31, 1948 in a church his grandfather had helped build. Shortly after he turned 21 he was hired on the El Segundo Police Dept. This started him on his lifetime occupation and a job that he thoroughly enjoyed, one that kept him busy as a Peace Officer for 43 years. He attended every school or college course to learn more about the job. With this training he became a Certified Fingerprint Examiner and testified to such in local, state and federal courts. He was promoted to Sergeant at 25 and Captain at 29. His family was completed by the birth of a son, Robert, in 1951 and a daughter, Andrea in 1953. After the Los Angeles riot of 1965, the family felt there must be a better place to raise children, so after much searching they moved to Etna. Shortly there after he was hired by the Siskiyou Co. Sheriff’s Office as Chief Criminal Deputy and he moved to Yreka where he resided until the time of his death. He retired as Under Sheriff in 1981 and he and Gene traveled extensively through the U.S., Mexico and Canada in their motor home. Upon the birth of their grandchildren, they decided it was time to stay nearer home. Jack was a member of Howard Lodge F&AM, Stella Chapter O.E.S., life member and past president of the California State Div. of the International Association for Identification, member and past president of the County Peace Officers Ass’n, State representative for Retired Public Employees Ass’n and has served on the Board of Supervisors advisory board for medical insurance and on the Grand Jury During his retirement he became interested in the law enforcement history of the County and compiled much information about Peace Officers who had been killed in the line of duty in the County. He was successful in getting several of these names added to the Peace Officer Memorials in Sacramento and Washington D.C. He was presided in death by his daughter Andrea Gene Partlow-Simpson. He is survived by his lifetime companion and wife, Gene; his son Robert and daughter-in-law Liz of Woodland; his son-in-law, Charlie Simpson; his grandchildren, Jack & Nicole Simpson and Erik & Barbra Partlow; as well as two step grand children and three step great-grand children. He passed away on May 26, 2011, at his home with his wife, son and daughter-in-law present.Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 4, 2011 at 11:00 a.m. in Girdner Funeral Chapel in Yreka. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the Siskiyou Peace Officers and Veterans Memorial Fund, C/O Siskiyou County Sheriff’s Office, 305 Butte Street, Yreka, CA 96097 or to Madrone Hospice, 255 Collier Circle, Yreka, CA 96097.

Jack King Partlow

March 8, 1926 - May 26, 2011