John Richard "Jack" Kruger

John R. “Jack” Kruger, 92, of Astoria, died Sunday, Dec. 12, 2010, in Astoria, after a short illness. He was born Dec. 6, 1918, in Dayton, Ohio. As a child, he enjoyed scouting and sailing canoes on the Miami River near Dayton. After graduating from high school, he attended Miami University for two years. During that time, he also worked in a lumber mill in Montana. Early in World War II, he joined the U.S. Marine Corps, eventually rising to the rank of second lieutenant. He trained as a paratrooper, and later served in the Pacific Theater. In 1943, he married F. Yvonne Kruger. She preceded him in death. At the end of the war, the couple returned to Ohio from California. They moved back to California in 1949. In the 1950s, he moved to Solana Beach, Calif. He built a career as a machinist in the aerospace industry. He held down a full time day job while moonlighting as a paper carrier, hobby shop owner picture framer and cottage industry entrepreneur. He founded a machine shop in 1961, and his son took over operations in the mid-1990s. He moved to assisted living in Oceanside, Calif., in August 2009. He served as a scout leader. He and his wife contributed to serveral religious charities and Christian missions. He was very active in Faith Community Church by the Sea in Encinitas, Calif., focusing on youth group activities. Family members said he was an advocate for Torrey pine trees, a rare species, and was known as Torrey Pine Jack. Enlisting the aid of his children, he gathered seeds, raised small seedlings and spread them far and wide, assisted by newspaper coverage and notoriety from an early version of talk radio out of Los Angeles. He also built a fallout shelter under the backyard patio, and was previously interested in model airplanes and gliders. He is survived by three sons, Dave Kruger of Astoria, Rick Kruger of Portland and Jon Kruger of Cardiff, Calif.; a daughter, Linda Kruger of Coueron, France; a niece, Judy Duerr of Ventura, Calif.; seven grandchildren, Ian Kruger and his wife, Suzanne, of Remberton, B.C., Taryn Kruger of Portland, Gilles Claro of San Diego, Paul Claro of France, Cori Kruger of North Bend, Wash., Kelsi Kruger of McMinnville and Katherin Kruger of Randle, Wash.; and several other nieces and nephews. Private memorials will be held at a later date in Astoria and Southern California. Memorial contributions may be given to Faith Community Church, P.O. Box 231460, Encinatas, CA 92023.