Jack Michael French

1992 ~ 2020

It is with great sadness that we announce the sudden, and much too soon, passing of our son, brother, grandson, nephew, cousin and good friend, Jack Michael French.

He leaves behind his loving parents, Beth (nee Retzlaff) & Shawn French; sister Mollie; twin brother (by 8 minutes and a whole other day, as he was fond of telling his ‘younger brother') Brendan; grandparents Suzanne (nee Schuckert) & David French, and Jean (nee Carrick) Retzlaff; aunts and uncles Janine (nee French) Foy, Jim Foy, Paul & Kristi (nee McGonagle) French, Jeannie (nee Wallace) French, Ann (nee French) & Steven Schmidt, Kay Retzlaff & Thomas McCord, Russell & Brenda (nee Polt) Retzlaff, Curtis & Julie (nee Miller) Retzlaff, Jennifer (nee Retzlaff) & Steven Nowachek, and Eric & Brandy (nee Madison) Retzlaff. He was a cousin to Travis & Kaitlin (nee Goter) Retzlaff, Calvin & Brittany (nee Werner) Retzlaff, Sara (nee Retzlaff) & Jordan Hinrichs, Laura (nee Retzlaff) & Dustin Christiansen, Chelsey Retzlaff, Alexandra Schmidt, Will & Alexandra (nee Leonardo) French, Andrew French, Lindsay Nowachek, Christopher Nowachak, Natalie Retzlaff, Alex Retzlaff, Caydan Retzlaff, & Grace Retzlaff, and James Foy. Jack is preceded in death by his grandfather, Robert Retzlaff.

Jack was born in Chicago, Illinois on October 21, 1992, and grew up in Highland Park, IL.

At the age of four, Jack was diagnosed with a rare kidney disease, IgA Nephropathy, which he courageously battled into remission. During the course of finding the correct diagnosis and treatment, Jack and his parents developed a very real and core bond that sustained them throughout numerous setbacks to his health over the years.

He later moved with his family the Greater Philadelphia Area (Yardley, PA) and finally to Salt Lake City in 2010. He graduated from Judge Memorial High School in 2011, attended the University of Utah and later graduated from Salt Lake Community College with an Associates of Arts degree in Music Production in 2017.

He shared a love and passion for the arts with his uncle and mentor, Paul French. Jack was a talented guitar and piano player. He loved to write his own songs and collaborate with friends on the lyrics. He would then go into his home studio to record and mix the audio into an amazing finished product. Many of his pieces will forever be in our hearts and our heads (and thanks to modern technology, on digital recordings that he left behind for us to hear). Thanksgiving, Christmas and other celebratory dinners will never the same now that he's gone. He frequently kicked us all out of the kitchen while he created the entire meal.

He adored the natural beauty of Utah and traveled to hike in most of its National Parks. He enjoyed fitness, lifting weights, running, hiking and was an avid indoor climber. Those raw and real conversations about faith, love and family combined with his sense humor over the inevitable role of fate will be forever missed. His unconditional love for family and friends touched all those around him. Jack will never be forgotten.

A Visitation will be held Friday, Jan. 24, 2020 at Larkin Mortuary, 260 East South Temple in Salt Lake City, where friends may call from 5:00 - 8:00 p.m.

A Memorial of his Life followed by a Funeral Mass will be celebrated Saturday, Jan. 25, 2020 at 11:00 a.m. at St. Catherine of Siena Catholic Church, 170 S University Street in Salt Lake City.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to one of the organizations below who helped Jack during his life:

The National Kidney Foundation

Children\s Hospital of Chicago, Nephrology

Children\s Hospital of Philadelphia, Nephrology

Primary Children\s Hospital (SLC), Nephrology

University of Utah - University Neuropsychiatric Institute, Addiction Studies