John Elmore Rack's Obituary
John Elmore Rack was born January 17, 1944, in Waco, Texas, the only child of
Elmore and Thelma Thagard Rack. He entered into the presence of his Lord and Savior
Jesus Christ, whom he loved and served, on March 1, 2026, in Dallas, Texas. A 1962 graduate of Waco High School, he attended Texas State University in San Marcos where he met and married Kathleen Padgett. To them was born his beloved first daughter Karen. Moving to the Dallas area in 1964, John worked at Texas Instruments and decided early on he did not want to clock in at work at 7:42 am every day for the rest of his life. So, he acquired his Realtor and broker licenses and eventually opened his own office, John Rack Real Estate in Garland, Texas. He later relocated his office to Mesquite and then Dallas, changing the name to Real Estate Services and he continued as a property manager and landlord for 40 years.
In October 1974, he married Eva Jane Salser who had been a missionary in Taiwan. She died of ovarian cancer in January 1977. In November 1977, John married Charlane Shaw and to them was born his beloved second daughter, Rebecca. John was a man of many interests and lived a very active life. He enjoyed playing pool in high school and into his adult years. He enjoyed water activities: boating, jet skiing, water skiing, and scuba diving. His favorite place to go was the mountains, especially Colorado. He was a skilled snow skier and went on family and solo ski trips multiple times each season. Hiking, off-road driving with his Jeep or motorcycle, and exploring were more things he loved in the mountains.
Studying and teaching God’s word were of great interest and of great value to him. John accepted Jesus as his Savior in his mid 20’s and was actively involved in his church, first at Reinhardt Bible Church and, in his later years at Redeemer Bible Church. He served on the elder board and finance committee and was dedicated to teaching an adult Sunday school class for over 20 years. He also led a Bible Study in his home for 30 years.
John was a man of godly character who set an example for those around him. As a father and husband, he was faithful, quick to apologize, and prayerful. As a businessman, he was conscientious, respected, and principled. As a friend, he was a giver of wise-counsel, helpful, and loyal. John even donated his bone marrow to a child with cancer.
Survivors include his wife Charlane; daughter Karen Versher and husband Allen; daughter Rebecca Paris and husband Phillip; grandson Owen John Paris; several Rack family cousins; and Shaw family in-laws.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made in John’s name to: White Rock Center of Hope, Thrive Women’s Clinic, or Northwest Community Center
A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, March 10 at 1pm, at Restland Cemetery (13005 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75243). A memorial service celebrating John’s life will be held on Saturday, March 21 at 11:00am, at White Rock Fellowship (6800 Town North Drive, Dallas, TX 75231)
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