In Memory

John Jacobs

John Jacobs

https://www.legacy.com/obituaries/name/john-jacobs-obituary?pid=193037463



 
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07/16/19 11:48 AM #1    

Frank Raspey

RIP  JJ   I knew you well!


07/18/19 11:10 AM #2    

Tom Allison

Well, of course, all of us from Lincoln Place knew JJ (or "Johnny " or "Jake" or even JJAJJ -- John James Anthony Jacobs, Junior).  Though he lived in Lincoln Place, I don't remember that he went to Mifflin School -- at least not for the full number of years -- but rather attended Catholic grade school and then joined us  at Allderdice.  Like many of our classmates, his family had a recent European connection.  I remember a grandmother living with the family who spoke little if any English.  I also think that "Jacobs" was an Anglization of his family name, as I seem to remember him telling us.  We know that this was common -- either due to mistakes on the forms at Ellis Island or done intentionally making it easier to assimilate.  (In my case, my mother's Hungarian maiden name -- Toth -- was pretty easy to spell, but the American pronunciation was different than the Hungarian which sounded more like "tote".)

He was a good friend to everyone and part of the group of kids who lived on the western slopes of McBride Park in Lincoln Place and hung out together.  Mary Ann Wolfe, Paula Wampler, Patty Petrosko, Linda Schmidt, Marie Psoda, Marsha Eastman, David Paxton, Marlene Phillips were all TAHS '64 classmates -- sorry if I inadvertantly left someone out (it was 60 years ago, after all), plus there were others a year or two older or younger who were in the group and a couple of others in the class of '64 who continued their high school education at Catholic schools.

It was Johnny who encouraged me to join the cross-country team and started me off on a 33-year running career.  Also of note, I learned to play the card games pinochle and 500 at Johnny's house, and the first time I went bowling was with Johnny and his father.  Another reason that the boys liked to play cards at Johnny's house was that we might catch a glimpse of his pretty older sister, Mary.  I also remember that Johnny liked to ocasionally "spiff up" and wear a 3-piece suit to school -- tan corderoy, if memory serves me correctly.

Sadly, I don't think that I saw Johnny more than once or twice after we all went off to our separate colleges and careers.  I have previously mentioned the song "Bob Dylan's Dream" (not the crazy "115th Dream" about landing in pre-European-colonized America) from The Freewheelin' Bob Dylan album (his second studio ablum, released May 27, 1963 -- during our junior year) which deals with the nostalgia of the magical days of youth and first friends.  In paticular, the announcement of Johnny's death recalls to mind this verse:

How many a year has passed and gone
Many a gamble has been lost and won
And many a road taken by many a first friend
And each one I’ve never seen again.

Yes, JJ, may you rest in peace -- and, to finish out the prayer -- and let the perpetual light shine upon you.

 


07/19/19 09:59 AM #3    

Mary Ann Wolfe (Barrington)

Beautifully said Tom!!


07/19/19 11:16 AM #4    

Sandi Sable (Forstenzer)

Great tribute!


07/19/19 11:55 AM #5    

Philip Mason

Tom: thank you for your tribute.

Although I didn't know John, it was interesting to find, read and post the link to his obit. His wife, Eileen, emailed me that "John had wonderful memories of Allderdice and I know he received an excellent education."


07/19/19 11:55 AM #6    

Richard Fried

Yes, beautifully said and straight from the heart.

RIP John


07/19/19 07:09 PM #7    

Michael Brourman

Wonderful, Tom. 


07/20/19 12:50 PM #8    

Tom Allison

I am glad that my classmates liked my memorial to Johnny.  Thanks for your kind remarks.  I guess I gave him a pretty good send-off.  For those of us who remain, I wish that all of us have enough in this beautiful life to keep us busy and happy.  May these losses of classmates make us appreciate our own lives and our past experiences even more.  Can it be that we are already coming up on 5 years since our 50th reunion?  Amazing!  The blink of an eye!

 


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