Jack Dodds

At Gone With The Windmill, 2011

John Giblin Dodds
17 Jul 1940 - 25 Jul 2024

Clubs & Associations

Bloomin' Squares
Boots in Squares
Tinseltown Squares

Obituary

John 'Jack' Dodds
PALM SPRINGS — Navy veteran and former LAUSD Principal, Jack Dodds passed in his beloved Palm Springs home. Born to Margaret & William Dodds in NJ, the family moved to LA before Jack joined the Navy. After his service, Jack pursued a career in School Administration, becoming Vice-Principal at Hollywood High School and then Principal at several LAUSD schools. An international traveler, Jack loved experiencing other cultures, and skied around the world with Arriba Ski Club. He was also a longtime member of All Join Hands, a square dance group. Jack’s greatest love was horses, including his gentle steed Rex. Jack participated in the Rose Parade and other events with Rex, and he was a member of the War Horse Foundation. Jack’s ashes will be interred with his mother at the San Gabriel Mission Cemetery.^[1]

Remembrances

Boots in Squares is sorry to announce the death of Jack Dodds, after a long battle with cancer. Jack died in his home last night. He was born July 17, 1940, died July 25, 2024. He danced with Tinseltown for many years before moving to Palm Springs.
— Dwight Fine ^[2]

Paul McCullough is the one that was with Jack Dodd on his final night after his long bout with cancer; he also arranged the memorial at Jack’s house at 1570 S La Verne Way, Palm Springs. He seems to be the executor of Jack’s wishes. There were 17 people at the memorial in Jack’s living room; Paul gave the welcome, and most of us shared some memories of Jack through the years. One gentleman there had known Jack from teenage school days—they also both became teachers for their careers, and kept in touch all these years. Several were local friends that looked in on him during his failing days, and two women were his long-time house cleaners that he was friends with for many years. The square dancers there were Bill from New York (can’t remember last name at the moment), Dwight Fine and myself. Paul had prepared a very nice spread for the attendees, including what he said were Jack’s favorite—baked potatoes.

I had known Jack through square dancing from the early 90s calling for Tinseltown Squares. I had lost track of him for a long time, other than seeing him at conventions, but at some point he moved from L.A. to Palm Springs, and danced on and off with Boots in Squares until his health started getting really bad about 2018 or 2019. His convention badge had all the city shingles on it from Albuquerque ’92 through Philadelphia ’19.

I only got a bit of personal information at the memorial: He was born in NJ, but his family moved to the Los Angeles area in the early 1950s. He became involved in equestrian affairs, was in the Navy for a period of time, and became a teacher and later assistant principal at (possibly) North Hollywood High. It was mentioned that he was well-versed in Hollywood and Los Angeles history.
— Bill Eyler ^[3]