A few remembrances about Jack Prescott

A few remembrances about Jack Prescott


It was my good fortune to have been Jack’s first supervisor at Alcon, and to have had the opportunity to work closely with him throughout his time at the company. Although we hired Jack based on his many obvious talents and skills, I choose to remember him for his personal gifts that were so apparent. Gifts, as opposed to talents or skills, cannot be developed but can only be shared or not. Because Jack chose to freely share those gifts with us, we left behind are the richer for it.

The first gift that comes to mind is the gift of grace. Jack’s graceful presence could be felt in person, on the phone and through his many emailed and handwritten notes. He was at ease with himself, which put us at ease, and as a result we connected with him. We responded to his leadership and counsel because of it. This grace transcended language and culture (and his spelling!), and his worldwide impact is evident here today.

The second gift is the gift of clarity. When a complex problem or situation arose, Jack could quickly break it down and explain it to us. He was a master at the use of paraphrases, usually with a humorous twist thrown it! His quick mind could often see points of view that others missed. Because he was so clear, we came to know him well and quickly, and because we knew him, he was a friend and colleague to many.

The third gift is the gift of toughness. Although some may argue that this can be developed, I believe Jack’s was a tough soul from the beginning, honed by his many work and life experiences, all the way from short order cook at ASU to Alcon. His demeanor never changed under pressure, whether it was working late into the night in a dingy basement lab in East Orange, NJ or presenting in front of top customers and Senior Managers. Because of that toughness, his confidence and self-control were remarkable and nearly unshakable. No situation or person ever seemed to get the better of Jack.

I will miss all of these, embodied in one person by the name of Jack Prescott. What Greater Will was at work that he was taken from us so soon, we will never know in this life. What we can take some comfort in are the memories that continue on, refreshed occasionally by a glimpse at a photo or a glance at one of his notes. Such are the marks of a life well lived, that we carry a little of him with us for the remainder of our journeys.