Dr. John (Jack) Reznik

Dr. John “Jack” Reznik’s Obituary Dr. John “Jack” Reznik, 83, passed away peacefully on January 29, 2026 after a lengthy illness in Albuquerque, NM. From humble beginnings he was surrounded and encouraged by a loving, hardworking family in Shenandoah, PA, nestled in the foothills of the Appalachian Mountains in the Anthracite coal region of the State. His father, Joseph, had worked in the coal mines as a youth to help support his family after his father died in the flu epidemic of 1918 but he eventually became a successful insurance agent. His mother was employed at Rainbow Modes dress factory in the town, retiring after 25 years. Jack attended Catholic schools and was the lead in 2 school plays, a member of the glee club, was the co-editor of his HS newspaper’s sports page and a member of the Holy Name Society. He graduated from St. Casimir’s Parochial School in 1956 and Shenandoah Catholic High School in 1960 where he lettered in every sport, receiving the Outstanding All-Around Athlete of the Year Award as a senior. During his youth he was an altar server for the 5:30 AM Mass for the Bernadine Sisters who taught at his school, trudging through the snow to their chapel in winter before school started. He was also an altar server and acolyte at his parish church, St. Casimir’s, the oldest Polish Roman Catholic Church in the Eastern US. Jack was always an enterprising young man and had many odd jobs to help his family thrive—delivering The Philadelphia Inquirer each morning before school on foot, shoveling snow from sidewalks, and delivering groceries to the elderly. He knew his efforts were very much appreciated by his family, which also included his maternal grandparents who lived with them. Jack was also an accomplished clarinetist but his sports practices and games prevented him from playing in his father’s popular Polka Band which performed at functions all over the state and as far away at Detroit, Buffalo and New Jersey. The group included his brother, Joe, on the accordion, his Dad on the violin and several other band members. Upon graduation from High School he enlisted in the Air Force and was trained as a Corpsman at Lackland AFB in Texas and Gunter AFB in Alabama. Hoping to receive a competitive appointment to attend West Point Academy, he studied at West Point Prep, then located at Ft. Belvoir VA, excelling in his classes but missed being selected for West Point by a hair. In retrospect with the Vietnam War beginning to escalate, he was thankful that his lifelong dream of attending West Point didn’t materialize as several of his classmates were sent to Vietnam and didn’t make it home. Jack was then assigned to work in a hospital at Loring Air Force Base (a SAC base) in Maine and after enduring several extremely snowy winters was honorably discharged. Looking for a warmer climate, he enrolled at the University of New Mexico where he met his wife-to-be, Sue, the first day of class. At UNM he was the president of Sigma Phi Epsilon Fraternity and worked many jobs to put himself through college: delivering pizzas, officiating intramural games, working as a busboy at Sue’s Chi Omega sorority, and collecting tolls on the PA turnpike every summer. He was awarded his Bachelor of Science degree in Physical Education in 1968 and he and Sue were married at St. Thomas Aquinas Church on the UNM campus the day after their graduation. Moving with Sue to Mankato MN to pursue a Master’s Degree at Minnesota State at Mankato, Jack taught physical education classes as a graduate assistant, was a member of Phi Delta Kappa education honorary, was a graduate assistant coach for varsity football and swimming and received his Master of Science degree in 1969 in Physical Education. Jack enrolled in the doctoral program at University of Illinois, teaching, coordinating and supervising many undergraduate sports classes, providing tennis instruction at a private tennis club, and was awarded his Ph.D. in Physical Education with minors in Educational Administration and Educational Psychology in 1972. He wrote and published the first text on Racquetball during this time, became a father with the birth of a daughter, Kathy, who eventually earned a law degree at Tulane, and moved his family to Las Cruces, New Mexico after graduation. He was the Director of Intramural-Recreational Sports at New Mexico State University chairing numerous committees, supervising Masters oral examinations, and hosting the New Mexico State Intramural Convention. A son, Robert, was added to his family and is currently the Manager of Business Services at UNM. In 1976 Jack moved his family to Ann Arbor, Michigan to work at the University of Michigan as Associate Director of Intramurals and served as the Director of Sports Clubs and Supervisor of the Central Campus Recreation Building. After shoveling snow for three years Jack again looked for warmer climes for his family which now included a second son, Christopher, who is currently a professional firefighter in New Orleans, and landed a job in Baton Rouge, Louisiana in 1979 as the Director of Intramural Recreational Sports, at Louisiana State University in Baton Rouge. During his career there Jack built up the Intramural Recreational program adding many activities for students including outdoor recreational opportunities in canoeing, backpacking, camping and ski trips and provided emergency medical services for students. His department also offered non-credit classes in Step Aerobics, Spinning Classes, Water Aerobics, and various Fitness Dance classes as well as Life Saving, Water Safety, First Aid and CPR classes in addition to youth swim lessons. Twenty three Sports Clubs were sponsored by the Intramural Program some of which were Rugby (M&W), Soccer, Judo, Tae Kwan Do, Jiu Jitsu, Water Polo, Fencing, Team Handball, Floor Hockey, Lacrosse, Ultimate Frisbee, Volleyball (M&W), Rowing, Sailing, Water Ski (M&W), and Powerlifting. Under his tenure, student participation in the intramural program burgeoned with record numbers in the 1980’s that have never been duplicated. There were 250 teams each in softball, basketball and flag football in 1984-85. Student recreational programs ran 7 days a week. To accommodate the growing number of student participants, Jack vigorously campaigned for the construction of a multi-million dollar Student Recreational Sports Center at LSU which became a reality in 1992. It was recognized by the Baton Rouge AIA as one of three outstanding projects of the year and contained a 25 meter 6 lane indoor pool, 12 handball and paddleball courts with glass back walls, a suspended 3 lane indoor track, and included 5 basketball, 2 squash racquets, 5 volleyball, and 6 badminton courts, as well as numerous other features. There was also an outdoor fitness trail and miniature golf course for students. Jack was able to secure additional space for lighted playing fields so teams could participate at night. The Student Recreational Center was only the second facility of its kind for college students to be built in the state of Louisiana. Jack co-founded the Louisiana Intramural Recreational Sports Association with Randy Mast and was the recipient of its Service Award and their first Honor Award. Together they also instigated the first National Club Sports Symposium. In 1983 Jack served as the Competitions Director of the International Special Olympics Games in Baton Rouge receiving the Outstanding Service Award presented by Eunice Kennedy Shriver. He was also the Vice President of Region 4 of the National Intramural Recreational Sports Association receiving the NIRSA Regional Award of Merit. Jack administered sports camps for youth each summer and wrote and received many grants. He supervised Doctoral dissertation and Masters theses and, of the nearly two dozen graduate assistants under his tutelage, many furthered their careers as professionals in campus recreation upon graduation. As adjunct professor of physical education, Jack taught Masters level classes in Facilities Management. He was the author and co-author of a number of books dealing with handball, racquetball, and badminton including the 5th edition of the “Bible” of IM Sports administration: Intramural-Receational Sports: Programming and Administration publishing over 100 articles, creating sports instructional films and charts and presenting numerous papers at national conventions. Jack excelled as a player of handball, paddleball, racquetball, badminton and squash racquets and won many amateur tournaments in singles and doubles. He was once challenged to play racquetball with an empty bleach bottle against an opponent with a fancy racquet—and won the game! Two more children were added to his family while living in Louisiana—Nikolas who excelled at baseball at Woodlawn HS and currently works for Boeing, and Alexa who majored in violin at Loyola and is Concertmaster of the Civic Orchestra of Baton Rouge. With his in-laws approaching their 90’s, and his children, married and settled, Jack and Sue retired to Rio Rancho, NM in 2009 to be of assistance to her parents, Gordon and Lois Harvey who lived to be 96 and 100 respectively. Jack was a member of the Knights of Columbus at the Church of the Incarnation in Rio Rancho and was an avid genealogist. He enjoyed field trips around NM with the Albuquerque Gem and Mineral Club and road trips across the US with his family. He and Sue also took pilgrimages to Catholic sites in Poland, the Czech Republic, and Medjugorje in Herzegovina. How we will miss your jokes, Jack, and the love of your collies and shelties! You reveled in the season of Christmas with its Polish foods and customs, decorating the house from stem to stern with festive decor, constructing villages beneath the Christmas tree with elaborate train layouts as your family had done each Christmas in Pennsylvania and making your mother’s Michigan Rock cookies and peanut butter candy to share with friends and family each year. The love you showered on your family was second to none, especially toward Sue, your wife of 57 years, and your five children—Kathy, Robert, Christopher, Nikolas and Alexa, their spouses and your 16 grandchildren—Joseph, Paul, Evan, Susan and Ann Marie, Ronin and Arrow, Ramona and Ripley, Sullivan, Prescott and Ellington, Tessa, Tristin, Perseus and Ignatius and your 3 great-grandchildren—Levi, Everett, and Violet. The Mass of Christian Burial will be held at the Church of the Incarnation in Rio Rancho, New Mexico on Friday, February 20th at 11:30. Visitation will be at 10:00 with Rosary at 11:00. Interment will follow immediately at the National Cemetery in Santa Fe. A special thanks to the medical staff who attended to Jack during his long hospitalization. In lieu of flowers, please donate to the charity or foundation of your choice