Pilot Jack Tucker was famous for his nerves of steel and curling rink skills | Canada Voices

Jack Edward Tucker: Pilot. Curler. Adventurer. Family man. Born Oct. 12, 1940, in Kelowna, B.C.; died April 29, 2026, of chronic obstructive pulmonary disorder, in Surrey, B.C.; aged 85

Trained as a Royal Canadian Navy pilot, Jack Tucker flew off Canada’s last aircraft carrier HMCS Bonaventure in the 1960s. The nerves of steel required for landing on a moving target in North Atlantic seas came in handy during his long career as a commercial airline pilot, especially when quick thinking was required, as on one memorable occasion.

Jack was the middle of three sons born to Alfred and Millicent Tucker. Summer days were spent swimming in the lake with brothers Brian and Trevor. Winters were spent on the ice and curling rinks. Jack always made the hockey and curling teams both in high school and while serving in the navy.

Jack met Maureen Power at the Kelowna Regatta, when she was visiting from Victoria with her high-school band. So began a lifelong love story that almost didn’t happen. After high school, Jack moved to Esquimalt to join HMCS Venture, a program designed to boost officer numbers during the Cold War. Maureen lived nearby and they set up their first date with other navy recruits and some of Maureen’s friends. Everyone was on time except for Jack who was in the finals of a Venture ping pong tournament. He won the tournament and then raced to the meeting spot. Maureen wasn’t impressed, but she did get a sense of Jack’s competitive nature very early.

Jack and Maureen married in 1960 and moved to Halifax where Jack flew CS2F Tracker aircraft on submarine patrols. While stationed on the Bonaventure he would do leather work in his spare time, making wallets and belts.

In 1965 Jack left the navy and joined Canadian Pacific Airlines. He commuted to Vancouver from the Okanagan for his flights. He took up curling again and competed for British Columbia’s team as third in the 1968 Brier. He went on to skip the B.C. team in the 1973 Brier. (Later in life, Jack served as a curling judge during the 2010 Olympics.)

Jack and Maureen welcomed two children, Laurie and James. Jack was an adventurous and mischievous father. He took the family on holidays to remote lakes and exotic locales. One morning, in Fiji, Jack solemnly told everyone not to move because a snake was curled up on the pillow between Jamie and Laurie. Maureen bolted while Jack pounced with a pillowcase as if to capture the snake, yelling “April Fools!”

In 1973 Jack co-piloted a Royal Flight during the Queen and Duke of Edinburgh’s Canadian tour. It became a matter of family amusement that when the Queen unexpectedly came forward to thank the pilots, Jack was bent over the controls and showed her a little more of his backside than he would have liked.

In 1995, Jack was mostly flying long-haul routes. One day, departure was delayed on a flight to Taiwan because of an engine problem. Eventually, the DC10 with 257 people on board was cleared for takeoff. During takeoff, an explosive bang was heard and the plane shuddered violently. Jack made the decision to reject takeoff and braked heavily bringing the plane to a safe stop off the runway, nose wheel collapsed but all spirits intact. Throughout the Transport Canada investigation, Jack maintained that he would make the same call again. When he retired at the mandatory age of 60, Jack was hired by Mandarin Airlines as its chief trainer.

Jack returned to the sea and cruised to many destinations with Maureen and other family members. As a passenger on flights, he would explain the details of what was happening and remain wide awake when everyone else slept. Ironically, though Jack could operate huge aircraft he was baffled by cellphones and personal computers.

Jack was a Renaissance man. His artistic pursuits transitioned from leather to antique refinishing and eventually to wood carving. He carved birds and other wildlife and entered competitions, winning numerous best of show awards.

After Maureen died in 2020, Jack’s life was quieter, but he continued to cruise with his family and to enjoy weekly meetings with friends over pancakes at the Surrey IHOP.

Jack’s family takes comfort in knowing that he is flying with the angels now, reunited with his beloved Maureen.

Jennifer Power is Jack’s niece.

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