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hen doctors diagnosed lung cancer in 2006, they told Jack Crutchfield he had 6 to 9 months to live. His wife, Becca says Jack’s response to that was, “‘No way.’”

“He was a trouper,” she says. “He had four good years.” On Wednesday, Jack died at his home in Greensboro. He was 60.

Jack and Becca Crutchfield first came to Oriental to take sailing classes more than 20 years ago. Soon after, they bought a Columbia 36, “Cloudless.” They sailed the boat to Belhaven for their honeymoon in 1990, and took the boat for trips to Ocracoke and Cape Lookout.

Jack Crutchfield.

“Cloudless” has made her home in Whortonsville for two decades. The boat and crew were charter members of the Whortonsville Yacht and Tractor Club.

Jack lived in Greensboro, where he ran an ad agency for 25 years. But, as Becca says, he was always checking the weather and “on standby” to go to the boat and Whortonsville and Oriental. “He loved it,” she says, even if it meant just coming down to sit on “Cloudless.”

Cloudless.

In keeping with his boat’s name, Jack fended off clouds for quite a while. Jack didn’t tell many about the lung cancer. Becca says that for most of the past four years he did well, and thought, “‘If I’m not feeling bad, why talk about it?’”

Despite the cancer, Jack did visit Oriental and “Cloudless”, often traveling down with friends who could sail with him. He last visited Oriental in the fall, to winterize the boat.

“The only thing he regrets,” Becca said Thursday, “is leaving the kids behind.” His daughter Sydney is 17 and Weston is 13.

Jack Crutchfield, wife Becca, son Weston and daughter Sydney on board “Cloudless” three years ago.

A memorial service is slated for Sunday at 2p at Guilford Park Presbyterian Church in Greensboro. Becca says bright colors are encouraged – that’s what Jack would have wanted folks to wear.

Posted Friday April 16, 2010 by Melinda Penkava