John Harold “Jack” Ogorchock, 87 of Reynoldsville, (Beechwoods Area) died Saturday at his residence.
Born Feb. 11, 1925 in Brookville, he was the son of the late John J. and Elizabeth (Heyer) Ogorchock.
He started college at St Francis College in Loretto.
Enlisted in the U.S. Navy in 1942, he was one of the few selected for the aviation cadet training flying F6-F Hellcats.
After his naval service, he returned home and completed his business degree from Duquesne University in 1949.
Mr. Ogorchock started JH Ogorchock Trucking in 1946, which became Brookville Builders Supply, then DuBrook, Inc. in 1960. He then started Green Dot, Inc. in 1962, a commercial real estate development company that brought several businesses to DuBois.
Along with his family, he continued to develop businesses not only in the DuBois area but Texas and Virginia as well. Currently, the family employs over 500 people.
He married the lovely Aloyse Aiken in 1947. She survives.
Mr. Ogorchock moved from Brookville to DuBois in 1958 and later to Beechwoods in 1976.
He served as president of DuBois Board of Trade in 1962 and saw the change to the DuBois Chamber of Commerce in 1963. A quote from the Courier Express in 1962: “Jack is determined that all past intricacies of any unpleasant nature be entirely eradicated in the interest of producing full steam ahead for all our best interests”. Quote was regarding the workings of the Board of Trade.
He received the DuBois Jaycees’ Distinguished Service Award in 1963, was a longtime, avid private pilot and past president of Comanche Society. He was actively involved in the opening of Beechwoods Flying Service, which managed the DuBois Airport. He was a past member of the DuBois-Jefferson County Airport Authority, DuBois Rotary Club, the DuBois Jaycees and a past board member of the YMCA Board of Directors.
He was a member of George D. Montgomery American Legion Post 17, the James J. Patterson Post 813 VFW and the DuBois Historical Society.
He served as chairman of the hospital board that merged the Maple Avenue and DuBois Hospitals to the current DRMC. Mr. Ogorchock was especially proud of this merger that was a huge accomplishment of taking two “butting heads” and having them work as one joined unit.
He was a member of St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church and received the Knight of St. Gregory Award from the Bishop of Erie. He was a 4th Degree Knight of Columbus in Brookville.
He is survived three sons, Paul Ogorchock and his wife, Gayle of Virginia Beach, VA; Mike Ogorchock & his wife, Linda of Montgomery, TX; and Tom Ogorchock and his wife, Connie of Haymarket, VA; two daughters, Peggy Mowrey and her husband, Bob of Pittsboro, NC and Rosemary Barber and her husband, Joe of Reynoldsville; a brother, Thomas Ogorchock and his wife, Lorraine of Milwaukee, Wisconsin; eight grandchildren and five great-grandchildren.
He was preceded in death by his four sisters, Helen Kalchthaler; Dorothy Corbet, Trudy Glenn; and Kay Ogorchock and two brothers, Francis and Barney Ogorchock.
Visitation will be held from 2 p.m. – 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. – 9 p.m. Monday from the Goble-Baronick Funeral Home, 211 South Main St., DuBois, PA 15801.
A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10 a.m. Tuesday at the St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church in Falls Creek with Fr. Rick Tomasone and Fr. Rob Horgas con celebrating.
Burial will be in Beechwoods Cemetery.
Military honors will be accorded at the cemetery by the members of the DuBois Area Honor Guard.
Memorials may be placed with the DuBois Area Catholic Schools, P.O. Box 567, DuB0is, PA 15801; Christ the King Manor, 1100 West Long Ave., DuBois, PA 15801; and or St. Bernard’s Roman Catholic Church, 205 Taylor Ave., Falls Creek, PA 15840.
Online condolences may be placed to www.gbfuneralhome.com.