John “Jack” Henry Conaway Jr., 84, of Amherst, NH, passed away peacefully on June 30, 2026. Jack is predeceased by his wife, MaryAnne Conaway, and his parents, Myrtle Kerr and John Henry Conaway Sr. He is survived by his two sons, David, his wife Meredith, and their children Ethan and Viktor of Amherst, NH; and Steven and his wife, Misha, of Rutland, MA.
Jack was born in Philadelphia, PA on March 31, 1942. He attended Haverford High School in Havertown, PA where he built life-long friendships. He graduated in 1960 and went on to Drexel Hill University earning his BSME in 1965 and MSME in 1969.
Jack married MaryAnne Denzler in Drexel Hill, PA on June 27, 1970. They lived in New Haven and Shelton, CT where Jack worked with helicopters for Boeing Vertol and Sikorsky Aircraft. In 1973, Jack and MaryAnne moved to Amherst, NH to raise a family. Jack shifted his career to the computer industry in Massachusetts working for Control Data, Digital Equipment Corporation, IDC, Labblee, and as an independent consultant.
Jack retired in 2007 to pursue hobbies and interests. He enjoyed gardening with MaryAnne, fishing, chopping wood, book collecting, visiting friends and family, and researching the family genealogy. He participated in archaeological digs in Central and South America, Grenada, and Rapa Nui. In 2009, he hiked an 800-mile section of the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Virginia. He was a regular contributor to local newspapers promoting justice, democracy, and fairness. He volunteered for SHARE, the Amherst Democrats, and the Unitarian Universalist Church garden.
Jack’s strong values, intellectual curiosity, and love for family and friends will be greatly missed.
A celebration of life will be held Saturday, September 26th at 11:00 AM at the New England Botanic Garden at Tower Hill, 11 French Dr., Boylston, MA.
In lieu flowers, the family requests memorial donations be made to any of the following:
SHARE Outreach, Inc. www.sharenh.org
Merrimack Adult Day Health Center https://merrimackadhc.com.
J. N. Boufford & Sons Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements.
For more information and online guestbook please visit www.bouffordfuneralhome.com.