Jackie R. Lyda, 73, died at his home in Spencerport, NY on Sept. 15, 2017.
He was a native of Clearfield and a resident of the Greater Rochester area for over three decades.
He was a U.S. Army veteran and, as a pioneer in the field of respiratory therapy, he served as hospital administrator, professor, program developer and mentor to many over a career that spanned five decades.
In retirement, he continued to serve his community as a Veterans of Foreign Wars chaplain, GED instructor and public health advocate. A life-long athlete, he competed in track and field well into his 60’s.
In the history of humankind, no one has ever enjoyed mowing lawns more than Mr. Lyda, and, to be sure, heaven now has its newest groundskeeper.
He was preceded in death by his father, William James Lyda; his mother, Naomi Elizabeth Lyda; his daughter, Kristine Lyda; and his sisters, Lucy Mae Lyda, Lillian Strickland, Gloria Wright and Margaret Hardrick.
He is survived by his children, Jack II (Betty), James (Angela) and Elizabeth (Thierry); grandchildren, Haley, Taylor, Naomi, Maximilian and Franklin; siblings, Georgianna Massey, Patricia Stewart, Allen Lyda, Sharon Chisholm, Crystal Adams, Eugene Lyda and Fay Alice Lyda; former spouses, Eva Lyda and Debra Lyda; and several brothers-in-law, sisters-in-law, cousins, nieces and nephews.
An educator to the very end, Mr. Lyda chose to donate his body to the Anatomical Gift Program at the University of Rochester Medical Center.
A small memorial ceremony with military honors will be held at 10 a.m. Oct. 21 at the Kevin A. Beardsley Funeral Home, Clearfield.
In honor of his service to our country, donations to the Veterans of Foreign Wars (VFW) can be made on his behalf at heroes.vfw.org.
To sign the online guestbook, visit www.beardsleyfuneralhome.com.