Jac R. Amerell

Jac Ross Amerell died Sunday October 15, 2017 at his home of 47 years in Glendale Wisconsin, surrounded by his family, and after a nearly 25 year struggle with various types of cancer. Jac was 956 months old.

Jac was born February 25, 1938 in Milwaukee Wisconsin, son of Florence E. Rosso and Otto C. Amerell, a career Army officer who was imprisoned during WW II in a German POW camp. Jac followed in his father’s footsteps and joined the army at the young age of 17. He served for two years active duty, two years reserve and the remaining inactive reserve. After the army he attended and graduated from UW- Milwaukee with a degree in accounting where he met his first wife of 35 years and some of his best friends of 50 years.

In his professional career, Jac rose within the executive ranks at the Marshall Company, Blue Cross Blue Shield of Wisconsin and finally the Milwaukee County Employees Retirement System. But his greatest accomplishments came from his children and his love for challenging himself in life.

Over the course of his life, Jac conquered his fears and fed his competitive juices by racing sports cars throughout the Midwest including at State Fair Park and Road America. He was instrumental in building the Glendale Little League to a program of prominence through various administrative roles during the 1970’s – 80’s, and coaching his Cardinal team to 5 consecutive league championships from 1972 – 1976. Jac furthered his coaching resume at Dominican High School while serving as varsity coach in the 1980’s, ending his coaching career with an overall 204-79 record and induction into the Wisconsin Baseball Coaches Association 200 Win club.

In 1976 he decided to buy land and build a log cabin east of Eagle River with the help of family and friends. The cabin became the place he loved dearly as it represented a challenge he accomplished through the support of family and friends. The cabin is his legacy to leave to his children and partner as a reminder of living your dreams and challenging oneself to try the unimaginable.

In his spare time during the 1990’s and early 2000’s, Jac mastered Country Swing Dancing where he competed regionally and nationally, eventually winning the 2002 world championship. It was on the dance floor where he met his current life partner of 19 years, Cheryl Beck.

Jac also mastered the art of raising and training gun and agility dogs. His dog/best friend Hawkeye a Flat Coated Retriever, won countless agility awards including the prestigious Master Agility Champion designation, attaining MACH5. Following retirement from competitive agility, under the tutelage of Jac, Hawkeye became an actor for the Milwaukee Repertory Theatre in the 2016 production Of Mice and Men.

Doctors believe Jac was the longest survivor of Multiple Myeloma in the country, a battle that he fought for 25 years. Cancer eventually took his life, but his original cancer diagnosis in 1984 re-confirmed in him the attitude of “live now, live your life”. As a distinguished elite of the Intertel community and Mensa, Jac took his smarts and applied it to life; “Get off the bench and in the game”, a common Jac-ism phrase of how to live life. Jac Amerell was a teacher, coach, father, and frequently the most controversial person at the dinner table.

In the last year of his life, Jac was blessed with the dogs and neighbors in his local Glendale neighborhood as well as the care and assistance of Visiting Angels and GoodPeople. He specifically wanted Bobbie and Albert to know that they blessed his life, as well as his childrens’ lives with their loving hearts, beautiful souls and unconditional love.

Jac is survived by his father’s son’s sister Jane Vriesacker, partner Cheryl Beck, his five children Jac J. Amerell, David Amerell, Jodie Amerell, Jennifer Amerell and Kathryn Amerell, and his two grandchildren Kimberly and Patrick Amerell, and his beloved canine Pepper.

Visitation at Krause Funeral Home, 7001 West Brown Deer Road, Milwaukee, Wisconsin, Saturday, October 21, 2017 11:00 AM – 12:45 PM. Funeral Service 1:00 PM. Interment Wisconsin Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, Jac has requested donations to be made to:

Glendale Little League http://www.glendalelittleleague.com or

Underdog Pet Rescue of Wisconsin http://www.underdogpetrescue.org/donate