Jack Tucker
1914 - 2007
As a reporter and photographer with theSaginaw News for 66 years, Jack Tucker was noted for his deep interest in local history, especially highlighting the lives of those individuals who drove it.
For almost two decades, the Sunday issue of the News featured the highly popular Tom McDonald articles. Researched and written by Tucker, the series “A Parade of People I Wish I Had Known,” A Parade of People I Wish I Had Known…And Some I Did,” “Looking Back,” and “Behind The Wheel,” totaled over 900 in number. In addition, it was Jack Tucker who was the principal researcher and author for the News 2000 publication, Reflections: A Pictorial History of Saginaw County.
John Tucker was born in Honor, Michigan, southeast of Traverse City. The family moved to Saginaw where Jack Tucker graduated from Arthur Hill High School in 1931. After working at a drugstore and as a route man for Robertson’s Laundry, he was hired by the Saginaw News in 1937. He worked as a photographer until 1941 when he enlisted in the Army’s Officer Candidate School. He served in 161st Signal Photo Co., 21st Field Battalion, in the South Pacific during World War II. During the war he married Marie Dalby, an office girl in Washington, D. C. When he was discharged in 1945 he returned to the Saginaw News.
Tucker was chief photographer until 1952, then worked as a picture editor. He later worked at the area desk, coordinating news coverage outside Saginaw County, and then as business editor and outdoor editor. His most interesting job however, was as “Tracker Jack,” posting his daily Saginaw Harness Raceway predictions in the sports section.
He served on the Saginaw County Hall of Fame board for 20 years.
According to Paul Chaffee, former editor of the News,“Jack Tucker always was on the alert for The Story. Sometimes it was a big story. Sometimes just an interesting twist on something utterly routine but readable.”
Fellow News reporter Sue White, under the headline, “Jack, You’re One of the Greatest,” eulogized him after his death in 2007: He had an appetite for life, a wonderful blend of curiosity, skepticism and dry wit that was hard to resist.”