John ‘Jack’ Garfield Crist, 86, died on April 19, 2026. He was born on July 31, 1939, in the former Eagle Hotel in Gettysburg, PA, the son of the late Ethel Edna (Eckert) Crist and Edward Gordon Crist.
Jack graduated from Gettysburg Area Senior High School in 1957, along with his childhood sweetheart and future wife, Sally Ann (Smith) Crist, with whom he was voted ‘Cutest Couple’ by his high school class. Jack was also voted ‘Most Comical’, and he carried this good sense of humor with him throughout his life.
Jack served in the United States Army from 1958 to 1961. For much of his service, he was stationed in Orleans, France, at the 34th General US Army Hospital in La Chapelle-St. Mesmin. When he was off duty, he took advantage of the opportunity to travel throughout Europe.
Following his stint in the Army, Jack and Sally married in 1962 and enjoyed more than 62 years together as husband and wife. They settled in Gettysburg, where they raised their two children, Doug and Jenny, and where Jack spent a career as a trusted local insurance agent, mainly with the former Fissel-Britcher and Hockley-O’Donnell Insurance Agencies.
Jack could always be relied upon to assist his community. For many years, he served as the Youth Activities Chairman for the Elks Club, and he was a Past President of the Gettysburg Area High School Alumni Association. After retiring, Jack volunteered at Gettysburg Hospital, for which he received the William Teller Honors Volunteer Commendation for having logged 2,840 hours of volunteer service between the years 2008-2017.
Jack and Sally were faithful members of St. James Lutheran Church in Gettysburg, where Jack served as Finance Committee Chairman and as a member of the Social Ministry Committee. He and Sally enjoyed singing in the Choir, with Jack being a fixture in the tenor section.
After retirement, Jack ramped up his walking regimen, and he regularly used these walks to pluck stray coins off the sidewalks of Gettysburg. Over the course of 25 years, he amassed over $4,000 in collected coins, whereupon he gifted each of his four grandchildren $1,000 to be used for college. He also began collecting cans, often scouring near the Gettysburg College fraternity houses on Sunday mornings, and diligently crushed the cans before loading them onto the back of his brother’s pickup truck and taking them to the recycling center.
Jack closely followed the local high school sports teams, and for years helped to run the chains at Gettysburg Warrior football games. He rarely turned down a beer when offered, and he was a lifelong Penn State football fan. He loved visits to the ocean with his family and enjoyed early morning walks along the beach.
In addition to his good sense of humor, Jack was always noted for his generosity, dependability, and kindness.
The Walking Man has passed away, but he walks on in our memories and in the hearts of those who knew and loved him.
He is survived by his son, Doug Crist, and his wife, Amy, of Gettysburg; and his daughter, Jenny Vanasse, and her husband, Jon, of Reading, Massachusetts. He is also survived by four grandchildren – Carolyn Vanasse, Ben Vanasse, Marrin Crist, and Lucy Crist.
Additionally, he is survived by his brother, Dick Crist, and his wife Barb of Wyomissing, PA; his sister, Sally George, and her husband Ron of Alexandria, VA; his sister-in-law, Erika Crist, of Gettysburg; his brother-in-law, Earl Little of Davenport, Florida; his brother-in-law and sister-in-law, Bob and Janet Berkey of Gettysburg; and his brother-in-law and sister-in-law Jay and Daryl Smith of James Creek, PA.
He is also survived by many nieces and nephews.
In addition to his parents, he was predeceased by his wife, Sally; his brother Tom Crist; and his sister-in-law, Kay Little.
Funeral services will be held Sunday, May 31, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. from St. James Lutheran Church, 109 York St., Gettysburg, with Rev Libby Baker-Mikesell officiating. The family will receive friends at the church on May 31st from 1:00 p.m. until the time of the service. There will be a reception immediately following the service in the church.
The family would like to express sincere thanks to the entire Gettysburg Community for helping to look out for Jack, particularly in the past couple of years as his struggles with dementia worsened. Also, many thanks to the entire staff at Paramount and Heartland Hospice for the care that Jack received over the past four months.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Jack’s memory to SCCAP (South Central Community Action Program), 153 North Stratton St., Gettysburg, PA, 17325. Online obituary and condolences available at monahanfuneralhome.com.