Jack Piche Passed From This Life December 29th 2024
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Ernest John (Jack) Piché, 87, died peacefully on 12/29/24, surrounded by his family. He was proud to have been born in Mound and spent much of his life near Lake Minnetonka. He was the eldest son of Mary (Duffy) and Ernest Piché, brother to Richard (Dick). He graduated from Mound High School, joined the Navy, then returned to work at Woodhead Chevrolet in Mpls. After a short career as a car salesman he became one of the original partners of Herc-U-Lift in Maple Plain where he worked into his eighties.
Jack was a life-long parishioner of Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Church in Mound, but thought he'd 'robbed the bishop' when Viola Joanne Dombrouski said "YES" to his marriage proposal, being joyfully wedded at the Basilica in Mpls. For over 53 years they were reverently devoted to each other, to their church, God, and to their family. They reveled in raising 3 sons and 2 daughters in Mound, until Jack moved the family to Cokato to become a gentleman farmer. The commute was longer, but it taught the kids the virtues of hard-scrabble living while raising chickens, cows, pigs, gardening, and working for neighboring farmers, picking rock and baling hay. He and his boys loved pheasant hunting on the farm. They owned a cabin in Northome to which they traveled in the old family station wagon spending happy weekends walleye fishing, duck and deer hunting, and working on the cabin. Those outdoor pursuits remained bonding activities for life, extending later to hunting trips out west and fishing trips to Alaska and Canada with grandkids and friends. Jack and Joanne gave up the riches of farm country when they moved to Avon so the kids could attend St. John's Prep, looking for even higher powers to help keep them on the straight and narrow. It worked perfectly. As kids graduated, they moved back to Mound where they remained.
Jack was a prominent church supporter and core volunteer, a long term member of the Knights of Columbus, and a generous donor to charities. He was also devoted to his business and its customers. Times were tight for years, as Herc-u-Lift stepped, stretched, grew, and finally flourished. At times Jack took payment in kind with traded equipment, tubs of ice cream, and even cheese, to make things work. He served some clients for 40 years, and was known as unfailingly honest, reliable, and able, determined to 'get the right deal done for them'. His Herc-U-Lift family enriched his life and was very important to him.
Naturally social, fun-loving and gregarious, he loved to laugh, tell stories and to giggle at stories, especially of naughty grandkids. He loved his French Catholic heritage, Piché reunions and to 'tip a few'. He was his happiest of all, by far, amid any gathering of family.
He is preceded in death by his wife Joanne whom he treasured and cared for throughout her health struggles, and by his middle son "Jimmy" who best embodied Jack's lively spirit. He is survived by his brother Dick (Judy), sons John and Joe (Darcy), daughters Mary (Shawn) and Gloria (David), 13 grandchildren, and 10 great grandchildren.
A Celebration of Life Mass will be held on Saturday, January 11th at 11:00 am, with visitation at 10:00 at Our Lady of the Lake, 2385 Commerce Blvd, Mound, followed by a luncheon, and private interment at Our Lady of the Lake Catholic Cemetery. Memorials to Our Lady of the Lake School and Humor to Fight the Tumor.
