Obituary of Jack G. Sidman

Jack G. Sidman, 86, of Mount Pocono, died Wednesday, April 20, 2016, at Lehigh Valley Hospital-Cedar Crest. He was the loving husband of the late Virginia L.R. (Rajkowski) Sidman whom passed away in 1999. Born in Philadelphia, he was a son of the late Benjamin and Bertha (Dittmar) Sidman. Jack attended Hopkins Elementary School and graduated from Mastbaum Vocational School in Philadelphia, in 1946. His education after graduating high school consisted of, one year of accounting and business law, two years of electronics and one year of tv repair. He was inducted into the U.S. Army in 1951, and served in Bremerhaven, Germany. While stationed in Germany, he visited Copenhagen, Denmark, Amsterdam and Holland. Jack was discharged in 1953. Music was always his first love and sports came in a strong second. Jack taught himself to play the guitar and piano "keyboard" just for his own pleasure. He loved to sing in Glee Clubs and choirs in church and school in his youth. He was always the life of the party. Jack spent most of his adult life working in the accounting field. On June 2, 1956 he married Virginia Rajkowski who was also of Philadelphia. He was a member of the Police Athletic League Baseball Team in Philadelphia and the American Legion Baseball League in his youth. His hobbies along with music were golf, bowling and following the Phillies faithfully. Before his retirement in 1995, Jack spent 20 years working as night auditor at the former Mount Airy Lodge. He is survived by his children: Jack Sidman and his wife, Elizabeth, of Lebanon, Connecticut, Anita Maher and her husband, Michael, of California, Maryland, Paulette Gibbons and her husband, John, of Forty-Fort, and Brenda Sidman of Tobyhanna; brother, Richard Sidman and his wife, Ellen, of Port Charlotte, Florida; eight grandchildren: Amanda, Shanna, Kaela, John, Kaitlyn, Olivia, Britney, and Ethan; and loved by many nieces and nephews. Jack was preceded in death by his brother, Raymond, and sister, Norma Myers. The Rev. Richard Czachor will celebrate a Mass of Christian Burial at 10 a.m. Saturday, May 21 at Our Lady of Victory, 327 Cherry Lane Road, Tannersville. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to Lehigh Valley Health Network Hospice, P.O. Box 7017, Allentown, PA 18105-7017. Private cremation has been entrusted to Bolock Funeral Home Crematory.