Remembering

Jacob “Jake” Clarkson

1.08.2003 - 8.25.2019

Jake was the type of person that would drop whatever he was doing to come help anyone he loved in anyway. He was a kind hearted, selfless guy, with the most contagious laugh in the room. His love for sports came naturally with his athleticism, winning over everyone with his high sportsmanship. He was dedicated to his sports, but always put his teammates, friends, and loved ones first.
Jake was my first call when I got my car stuck in some water that little would describe as a “big puddle.” Not only did he immediately come to the rescue, he got out of wrestling practice to come to my side. This scenario ended with a totaled car and a punishment at his next practice. The love Jake had for others was shown effortlessly through his actions. I will forever cherish the moments we shared together and I will always respect the devotion he consistently had for his athleticism, teams, friends and most importantly loved ones.  —-Claiborne B

I actually will never forget that day in Mrs. Susu’s first grade class. It was the first day of school, and I walked into the classroom anxious with who I might see. I sat at the front circle table by the door and Jake was sitting right across from me. I don’t recall the order of which names were said but I remember us just saying each others name. After that brief one word interaction from the each of the us, our friendship never looked back and we became inseparable. He was my first best friend. We grew up doing every little thing with each other. . I remember complaining about football and tell each other we would quit that day if the other did. To our Heathwood soccer days. where we would compete to beat each other in practice, ultimately sharpening each other for our games. At the end of the day, Jake was my brother. We knew each other like the back our own hands. Our relationship had its ups and downs like all relationships do, but Jake and I had been through enough as friends to get through anything together. For the longest time Jake was one hand and I was the other, and as I have gotten older I understand that people come and go from your life because that’s life, but the pieces of Jake that had rubbed off on me for about a decade will always be a part of me. We grew up with each other. Jake had the charisma to leave an impact on anyone he crossed paths with and I’m blessed that I got to witness it for as long as I did. Jake can’t be forgotten in my life because he helped create the person I am today and I know one day we will be back together like we never left that circle table in 1st grade. —-Van C.

Near the end of wrestling practice one day, everybody was exhausted and tired as normal. To make the practice worse, our coach was pushing us even further. Even though none of us would say it, we were all miserable as we waited for practice to come to an end. As Jake and I were in between drills, Coach comes over with his chest all puffed up. Jake pulled together the little bit of energy he had and jokingly jumped at Coach. As our coach jumped back and flinched, Jake ran around the mat, yelling, “I made him flinch…. I scared Coach,” the entire practice erupted in laughter. —AJ Kuse 

A memory that will stay with me forever was when we were in 8th grade. Everyday after school, Jake would always wait for Anna and I. We were like a trio. He would always sit with us until we both got picked up from school. That’s the kind of friend Jake was… kind, patient, and always giving to make sure his people were ok. ——Bella G

Jake was one of those people who seemed to be successful in everything he did, but he was sure to always remain humble and valued deep relationships with his family and friends.  I remember going on a trip with his family to Hilton Head, SC for a weekend during Middle School.  We sat on the porch at night and talked for hours about how much we hated school, liked girls, and loved fishing.  The thing I didn’t appreciate at the time was that I was building prime memories with one of my best friends.  Now that I can’t have those conversations anymore with Jake, it has taught me to savor those moments and hug the ones around you a little tighter. —-Ryan L