Obituary: Jack Ortagus

Norbert John “Jack” Ortagus, Jr., age 77, of St. Augustine passed away at the Bailey Family Center for Caring on April 15, 2016, surrounded by his loving family.

He was born in St. Augustine on August 31, 1938, to the late Norbert and Valerie “Cubbedge” Ortagus. He graduated from Landon High School in Jacksonville, class of 1957.

Jack joined the U.S. Army out of high school and served as a meteorologist in Korea after the Korean War ended. After his discharge, Jack returned to Jacksonville and soon after went to work in Ocala for the Ocala Fire Department.

During that time he also worked with the Marion County Sheriff’s Office. He later served as chief of police for the city of Belleview.

In 1970, he returned to St. Augustine and became a deputy sheriff with the St. Johns County Sheriff’s Office. He retired in 1983. After 1983 he worked as a licensed private investigator and polygraph examiner.

He was an avid fisherman, and loved his family and friends with or without fur.

Survivors include his wife Patti Ortagus of St. Augustine; daughters, Donna (Larry) Matthews of St. Augustine, Stacy Dale of Jacksonville, and Johna (Steve) Hill of St. Augustine; son, David Pomar of St. Augustine; brother, Donald Ortagus of St. Augustine; sister, Susan (Greg) Teeter of Dunnellon; 10 grandchildren, Jessica, Matthew, Noah, Kristin, Kelsey, Brandon, Andrew, Natalie, Rosemary and Miranda; and four great-grandchildren.

Memorial services will be held at noon on Tuesday April 19, 2016, at the St. Johns Family Funeral Home Chapel. A visitation preceding the service will start at 11:00 a.m.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in his memory to Ayla’s Acres No Kill Animal Rescue, at 142 King St. in St. Augustine.

St. Johns Family Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.