John J. ("Jack") Twitchell, IIIRedding, CA1926 - 2017 Jack Twitchell died in Redding, CA on February 1, 2017. He was 90 years old. Jack was born on July 3rd, 1926 in Santa Barbara, CA. During the Great Depression, Jack's father worked for the Forest Service and at one point was made Superintendent of Los Prietos CCC Camp near Paradise Camp in Santa Barbara County. There Jack had the privilege and the pleasure of completing his elementary education taught by a single teacher in a one-room school house. When World War II began, Jack's father joined the US Army Corp of Engineers and the family moved to Santa Maria, CA. Shortly after graduating Santa Maria High School in 1944, Jack joined the Navy and served as a Radioman Petty Officer. After his Navy service, he attended the University of California at Santa Barbara where he was introduced to Betty Walters, a very pretty young lady from Ojai. They were married in June, 1949 while Jack was completing his degree in Soil Science at the University of California at Berkeley. During his senior year, he was privileged to be inducted into the Alpha Zeta Honorary Scholastic Society. Thanks to Betty teaching school and with some help from the G.I. Bill, Jack completed his studies at Berkeley in 1950. After graduation, Jack worked for the Bureau of Reclamation at several projects. After that, Jack went back to Berkeley and started work at the Soil Physics Laboratory. He then worked for Bechtel Corporation as head of the soils lab at several large earth-fill dams in California and Washington. Jack then took a job with Clair A. Hill & Associates in Redding, which turned out to be the best move he and his family ever made. He worked for Clair Hill, later CH2M Hill Engineering, for 35 years and was fortunate to work on projects in most of the U.S., Canada and overseas. Jack was a past President of the Professional Soil Science Association of California and a registered engineer. Jack greatly enjoyed hunting and fishing with his friends and took special pleasure in the many hunting trips with the Clair Hill bunch to the Trinity Alps, as well as Nevada, Colorado, Idaho and Montana. He and Betty retired to a small alfalfa ranch in Cottonwood, CA until arthritis won the battle with his joints. He and Betty then settled in Shingletown, where he joined the Bear Creek Watershed Group and the Shingletown Fire Safe Council, and spent several interesting and productive years with these groups until poor health forced his withdrawal. His younger brothers, Richard and Robert, preceded him in death, but he leaves a younger sister, Patti L. Kirchhof of Santa Maria, California to continue to enjoy her friends and family. Jack leaves his loving and patient wife, Betty, of 67 years and three sons, Mark (Katie) of Redding, Kent (Holly) of Dallas, and Craig of San Diego. He is also survived by four lovely and intelligent granddaughters, Amber, Sara, Diane and Julie and four wonderful step-grandchildren, Jillian, Molly, Chris and Sarah. Also surviving are his step-brother, Robert Houtz (Jean) and step-sister, Marilyn Barca (Bob). At Jack's request, there will be no service. Memorial contributions may be made to The .Please sign the guest book at http://obits.redding.com