Dear Sensei Urban Goju webmaster:

 

This is to advise you that Sensei John Waples died on August 22, 2008.  He was my Sensei for 22 + years and I will miss him. 
Though he’d had some medical issues his death came as a total surprise to us all.  We had class the evening before and he was feeling very good. 
So we all take comfort in knowing his last day on this earth was a good one for him.

 

Sensei had made it clear that he wanted me to continue the class after his death.  I will honor his wish by resuming class this Thursday.

 

Respectfully,

Sensei Alan J. Lenza
alenza@hvc.rr.com

John Kyler "Jack" Waples, of Codwise Street, Town of Ulster died Friday, August 22, 2008 at Benedictine Hospital. He was 78.

He was born in Kingston on September 16, 1929, a son of the late Maxwell Lester and Kathryn Rebecca Piper Waples.

A Kingston High School graduate, Mr. Waples received an Associates degree from Ulster Community College and a degree in Industrial Management from LaSalle Ext. University.

A Corporal in the US Army, ee served from 1951 - 1957 in Korea. While in the service John was an active welter-weight boxer. He belonged to the American Legion Post 150, Kingston and Life Member of the V.F.W. Joyce-Schirick Post 1386.

On September 8, 1951 he married Doris E. "Betty" Cole Waples.

For 35 years Mr. Waples worked at I.B.M., Kingston. He retired as a manager in 1988.
 

 

Sensei Waples is a 10th Dan in USA GoJu Karate directly under the late great Peter Urban founder of USA Goju,

he also holds a 5th Dan in Kobu-Jitsu, 5th Dan Hakkoryu-Ju Jutsu,

and 2nd Dan US Judo Association. In 2001 he received the "Distinguished SVC Award" from Grand Master Peter Urban. In 2005 Grandmaster Waples

was inducted into the United States Martial Arts Hall of Fame as Grandmaster of the year. In 2006 he was honored with a Lifetime Achievement Award.

Jack operated the Ulster County Martial Arts Academy in Kingston.
He was a Training Sergeant with the Rosendale Police Department and a part time Deputy Sheriff with the Ulster County Sheriff's Department. He was a member of the United Federation of Police Officers, and a certified law enforcement instructor, specializing in Nunchaka and defensive tactics.

One sister Beverly Stockton, and one brother in law, Joe Benicase, both died previously.

Surviving are his wife of 56 years, Doris E. "Betty" Waples; his twin sister Jacqueline Benicase of Kingston, two nephews Noel Bonacci and his wife Alice, Joseph Bonacci and his wife Ann, dear friends Beverly and Al Goodwin and Frank Bonacci; many other nieces and nephews.