Jack Deutsch

Born in Berlin, Germany, Jack emigrated to the United States with his parents at the age of four weeks to escape Nazi persecution. Though Jack was too young to have any memory of the atrocities his parents witnessed, it no doubt shaped him into the man he would become. His parents knew life was made up of both joy and sorrow. They instilled in their children what they should value: Family, Honest Work, and Giving Back to Community. Upon arrival in St. Louis, Jack’s father Hermann and Hermann’s brother Bela, founded Standard Machine and Manufacturing out of their garage in 1940. After a short stint at Washington University, Jack married his Clayton High School sweetheart, and then spent two years in the United States Army before joining the family business. Eventually Jack became President of Standard Machine and helped develop other businesses to support the company, including DEMA Engineering and Gerald Industries. He valued every employee and was especially proud that many of them had been with the company twenty-five years or more. With pride he also mentored three of his sons into the family business. After an impressive 50-year career during which he led remarkable growth and expansion, Jack finally retired. He enjoyed being a snowbird with Ellen in Florida. He never became a single digit golfer, but he learned to enjoy the game mostly as a means to spend time with his “bride”. Nothing provided Grandpa more joy than having his grandchildren surrounding him, even when they gave him a hard time about his dance moves and his nine o’clock bedtime. He especially loved fishing with them in the ponds that surrounded their homes in St. Louis and Florida. Cherished memories were created around the thrill of catch-and-release before sitting down to one of Grandpa and Grandma’s traditional family barbecues. Driven by a deep curiosity and appreciation for nature, Jack and Ellen found there was no better way to travel than to explore the natural beauty of the world. They loved sharing their adventures–to Alaska, the Amazon, British Columbia– with family and friends. Supporting charitable organizations across the community became a passion and life-long commitment for Jack. Some of the many organizations he served were: Congregation Temple Israel, Jewish Federation, Barnes Jewish Hospital, Reform Jewish Academy and Mirowitz Jewish Community School. Jack will be remembered as a loyal and devoted husband, father, Grandpa, business executive and community leader. He has left a legacy and will be sorely missed.