Jack was born to parents George and Bernice Terry in Los Angeles, California.

He had one younger brother, Lee. He loved baseball and lettered in it in high school. After graduation, he played semi-pro ball for the Cardinals and the Dodgers. In 1951, he joined the Navy and did three tours of duty in Vietnam and Korea and spent four months in Antarctica as part of Operation Deepfreeze I.

He loved his last eight years of duty stationed in San Diego as a Top Gun Air Controller/Instructor. After retiring from the Navy in 1974, he came to North Idaho and built a log cabin in Priest River. He loved playing with logs and attended the B. Allen Mackie School of Log Building in Prince George, British Columbia, learning hand-crafted/hand-scribed log building.

He became Idaho Jack Log Builder and built his last log home for himself in Bonners Ferry. He was predeceased by his Mom, Dad and brother, Lee (2016). He leaves behind his wife, Carol Rutherford, Bonners Ferry, and stepsons Jim (Deb) Rutherford, Schenectady, New York, John Rutherford, Averill Park, New York, and Jason (Andrea) Rutherford, Medical Lake, Washington. He was a truly very nice man who served his country for 21 years. He was very much loved and is greatly missed.