Obituaries

Dr. John R. “Jack” Nordell, Jr., a longtime resident of Old Forge, passed away peacefully on Tuesday.
Jack was born and raised in Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania. His family moved to Hornell, New York, where he graduated from high school. He returned to Wilkes-Barre to attend King’s College where he received his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science. Shortly after graduating, he enlisted in the U.S. Army and was assigned to Fort Devons, Massachusetts, where he worked at Headquarters Command Legal Section, obtaining the rank of Specialist Five. He was honorably discharged.
Jack worked in journalism, focusing on newspaper features and editorials in Connecticut and New York. He later entered graduate school, receiving his Masters Degree in History at the University of Scranton and his Doctorate in History at the University Park Campus of Pennsylvania State University. He taught American History and the history of U.S. involvement in the Vietnam War at the Scranton and Altoona campuses of Penn State.
Jack is the author of two books: “The Undetected Enemy: French and American Miscalculations at Dien Bien Phu, 1953” and “Brooklyn Dodgers: The Last Great Pennant Drive, 1957.”
Jack was preceded in death by his parents, John R. Nordell and Dorothy (McMaster) Mordell of Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, Pennsylvania and Hornell, New York. He is survived by his wife, Marianne (Cichy) Nordell of Old Forge, Pennsylvania, who was the love of his life.
Marianne would like to acknowledge and thank Dr. David Mayne and the 4th floor nurses of Regional Hospital for their collective care and compassion throughout Jack’s stay.
Private burial arrangements at Cathedral Cemetery in Scranton are under the care of the Thomas P. Kearney Funeral Home, Inc., Old Forge, Pennsylvania.