DECEMBER 22 • 2022 | 19

“Words are most inad-
equate to use on a night 
like this, I’ve read a lot of 
nice things about me and 
sometimes I don’t recog-
nize who they’re talking 
about,” Jack said, eliciting 
laughs from his family 
and friends. 

Also, he joked about 
how somehow he always 
ended up assuming the 
role of president of the 
numerous business and 
religious organizations 

he’s worked with, hum-
bly deflecting his impact 
on those appointments, 
saying: “I think they were 
scraping the bottom of 
the barrel.” That would 
include Temple Israel 
which he described as 
“the home of the most 
outstanding cler-
gy in the coun-
try.” 
Jack spoke 
beautifully of his 
wife, Eve, and 
daughter Marcia, 
of blessed mem-
ory, wishing they 
could be with all 
of them on this 
special occasion. 
And he described 
all those gathered as “all 
positive people, each one 
of you contributing to my 
life in your own way.”
Jack concluded his 
remarks with a poem he 

had come across 
that he described 
as “words of wis-
dom,” words that 
spoke about kindness, 
honesty, dignity toward 
others, a call to embrace 
those who are sad, and 
most apropos for the 
22 grandchildren and 
great-grandchildren gath-
ered — the importance of 
“keeping your dreams in 
sight.” He closed with … 
 “Wherever life may take 
you; May you know this 
to be true; You will always 
be my family and friends; 
And I am forever proud of 
you.
”

BIG HONOR AT 
THE BIG HOUSE
It turns out Jack 
Caminker was being cele-
brated months before his 
100th birthday, thanks to, 
who else — the University 

of Michigan. During a 
media timeout during 
the second quarter of the 
Wolverines’ home game 
against Maryland on Sept. 
24, Jack was introduced 
to the sold-out home 
crowd of 110,225 as the 
“Hero of the Game.” A 
roaring reception greeted 
University of Michigan 
alum Jack Caminker.
During each home foot-
ball, men’s basketball and 
ice hockey games, U-M 
recognizes what they 
call a community hero: 
military, veterans, police, 
firefighters, doctors, first 
responders, etc. 
Jack and family mem-
bers were escorted on to 
the field with members 
of the U-M Navy ROTC 

continued on page 20

Jack’s maize and blue birthday cake in 
celebration of his 100th birthday.

Video presentation of Jack Caminker 
on the scoreboard at the Big House 
in Ann Arbor as he’s honored as he 
University of Michigan’s “Hero of the 
Game” during the Michigan-Maryland 
football game on Sept. 24.

