Jack Root Obituary

Aztec resident Jack Dallas Root died of injuries sustained while skiing Wednesday, March 11, 2009. He was 65.

Mr. Root was born Sept. 20, 1943 in Lorain, Ohio, the son of Frank and Jessie Root. He grew up in Avon, Ohio, and attended The Ohio State University and Pennsylvania State University. He enrolled in the ecology graduate program at the University of California-Davis, where he met Helen North.

They were married in 1972 in Menlo Park, Calif. The newlyweds lived in Davis, Calif., and Mr. Root worked in the agricultural chemical industry until 1978. He and his wife then moved to Scottsdale, Ariz., where he continued in that field of work until 1988. He then went to work for the state of Arizona.

Mr. Root moved to Aztec in 1994 to fulfill his dream of owning a farm on the river and living in a timber frame home. He started North & Root Consulting and later established Animas Exterminating.

Family members said he was a devoted Ohio State Buckeyes fan, a news and technology "junkie" and loved to read, travel and ski. He collected old tractors and was active in the farm community, as well as his professional organizations.

He is survived by his wife, Helen Root, of Aztec; mother, Jessie Root, of Avon; and brother, Frank Root Jr., of Avon.

Cremation will occur at Hood Mortuary Crematory in Durango. A celebration of his life will be held later this month at his home in Aztec. Memorial contributions may be made to a charity of the contributor's choosing.