Wallace ‘Jack’ Ketcham

Wallace “Jack” Ketcham of Shelter Island, formerly of Farmingdale, died at home on Sunday, Oct. 13. He was 86 years old.

He was the husband of Georgiana Ketcham and they were married for 64 years.

He was pre-deceased by their two sons, Scott John Ketcham and Mark Wallace Ketcham.

He was born in Amityville, N.Y. to Walburg and De Witt Ketcham, on Aug. 2, 1933.

Jack is survived by their daughters, Donna Reid and her husband Patrick; Jennifer Olsen and her husband Erik; and their daughter-law Kathleen Ketcham of Vero Beach, Fla. He is also survived by grandchildren, Scott Reid, Christian Reid (Liz), Kayla Olsen and Michael Ketcham and great-grandchildren, Avery and Alexander Reid and step-sister Lorraine Bundow as well as many wonderful nieces and nephews.

He was predeceased by sister Shirley Bumen and step-sisters Carol Faby and Lois Meiser.

The Liturgy of Christian Burial will be celebrated on Saturday, Nov. 2, at 10:30 a.m. at Our Lady of the Isle Roman Catholic Church, 1 Prospect Place, Shelter Island Heights, with the Rev. Peter DeSanctis officiating.

U.S. Army honors will follow at the conclusion of the Mass.

The Shelter Island Funeral Home is serving the family.

From childhood Jack was a true animal lover — from chickens, to dogs and cats and horses. He leaves behind his best friend, Cinnamon, who was at his side till death. She was rescued after he lost Putter, his golden retriever, who replaced Tara, his black lab. Deni, his rescued Tabby Cat, continues to look for him. His kindness for animals was unheralded when he helped Helen Rosenblum, another animal advocate, build a shelter for the feral cats at the recycling center.

Jack attended Farmingdale High School, was a caddy at Bethpage State Park, went to night school at the “Aggie” School (now SUNY Farmingdale), studied architecture and electrical engineering. He was drafted into the U.S. Army during the Korean conflict and was honorably discharged after serving in the 101st Airborne Division.

Prior to moving to Shelter Island, because of his football mania and as a high school team player and on an Army travel team while stationed in Japan, he was involved in starting the Farmingdale Midget Football teams that are still going strong.

In 1955, he joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America and worked on several union jobs throughout Nassau County.

But deciding this was not his cup of tea, he formed Jack Ketcham, Inc., and was basically in the dormer business and custom building along with home renovations.

In 1968 he moved to Shelter Island, where he built custom homes, and formed Ketcham Properties, LLC. While purchasing a property for a spec house, he met developer Jeanne Garr and the rest is history.

In 1970, sponsored by Ken Lewis and Frank Hallock, he and Georgiana Joined Gardiner’s Bay Country Club. Of course he joined the American Legion, the Lions Club and Shelter Island Chamber of Commerce.

Shelter Island was his “home” and he just loved every aspect of  living on Shelter Island. Fishing and cruising around the island’s bays, with the kids on “Carlotta,” his 33-foot Elco, which he docked at Tuthills’ Boatyard, was one of his greatest pleasures.

After reluctantly retiring from the building business, he bought and renovated a home in Whispering Pines, N.C. for winter retirement, five miles from the Pinehurst Country Club with a golf course on every corner. He always came back to Shelter Island on the date of the first golf tournament.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that contributions in Jack’s name be made to the Shelter Island Emergency Medical Services Foundation or the Shelter Island Senior Center.