John “Jack” Thomas Rule, 80, of Middletown, beloved husband of Nancy (Collins) Rule for fifty-eight years, passed away on January 4, 2021. John was the owner and President of Bill Collins Jewelers, started by his father-in-law in 1952.
Born in Meriden, John was the son of the late Carleton and Dorothy (Winkel) Rule. He served in the United States Air Force from 1958-1962. In 1963, he was employed in the retail jewelry business and in 1976 became the owner of Bill Collins Jewelers.
Jack was very involved in the community. In 1983, he joined the Middlesex County Chamber of Commerce Golf Committee, serving as chairman of both the gift and sponsor committees and in 1990 receiving the Good Guy Award given annually to an individual recognizing their contributions to the community and involvement in the golf tournament. Previously, he was a charter member of the M-X Future Club charity golf tournament committee from 1975-1982, which raised money for Mercy and Xavier High Schools.
Jack also served for twenty five years as a member of the Elks and Kiwanis, as well as past president of Kiwanis. He served on the Board of Directors of American Cancer Society, a member of the Long River Council of Boy Scouts, United Way, and INFORM. He was also been an outstanding sponsor of youth programs in the area, sponsoring boys and girls baseball and softball teams.
Along with his wife, Jack is survived by two sons, John T. Rule, II and his wife Katherine E. Hoffman of Glastonbury and William C. Rule of Meriden; a brother, James W. Rule of Vero Beach, FL and six grandchildren, John T. Rule, III, William “Hollis” W. Rule, Arianna E. Rule, Marlena M. Rule, Isabella A. Rule and Tessa A.Rule.
Family and friends may call on Monday, January 11 from 5:00 to 7:00 pm at the Doolittle Funeral Home, 14 Old Church Street, Middletown where masks and social distancing are required for the health and safety of all in attendance. A graveside service will be held on Tuesday, January 12 at 10:00 am in Miner Cemetery, Miner Street, Middletown where full military honors will be accorded. In lieu of flowers, donations in Jack’s memory may be made to American Lung Association of Connecticut, 45 Ash Street, East Hartford, CT 06108. To share memories or send condolences to the family, please visit www.doolittlefuneralservice.com.
To send flowers
to the family or plant a tree
in memory of John "Jack" Thomas Rule, please visit our floral store.