Thomas Jefferson Class of 1959

The Class of 1959 will have its reunion Thursday, September 5 - a luncheon with a lot of time to mingle!
An initial letter went out by e-mail in November to all classmates who have e-mail. Another letter will be sent January 15th to all classmates without e-mail.
A formal letter will go out in mid to late spring to all those who have responded as planning on attending. This letter will contain more details, including cost, etc.

William Seaton passed away September 29, 2020. His obituary will be published in the Richmond, VA, newspaper October 25th.

William Garland "Bill" Gowen has been on our "Missing Classmates" list. He passed away about a week ago, September 28th. No services are scheduled. His obituary was in the Richmond Times Dispatch.

Robert Lewis Jacobs
January 12, 1940 – April 21, 2020

Jacobs, Robert Lewis, died on Tuesday, April 21, at home with his family. He was born in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, on January 12, 1940, to the late William Lewis Jacobs and Kathryn Buchanan Jacobs. In 1945, the family moved to Richmond, Virginia, into a log cabin on Cherokee Road. In 1949, the family moved into the city where Bob attended Westhampton Junior High School.

He delivered the Richmond News Leader every afternoon after school. Bob enjoyed scouting; he was a cub scout, boy scout, and sea explorer. He also attended Thomas Jefferson High School. He enjoyed music and his senior year was president of the acapella choir. He participated in the many musicals held at the school. In his last two years at Thomas Jefferson, Bob worked before school, after school, and Saturdays at Puritan Cleaners.

After attending junior college in LaGrange, Illinois, he moved back to Richmond and worked full time at Puritan Cleaners. In 1962, he joined the United States Coast Guard Reserve, serving for six years during the Viet Nam era. After working for Puritan for eight years, he was promoted to General Manager. In 1972, Bob ventured out on his own buying Windsor Cleaners and Launderers until 1989 when he sold it. Bob took a job with Adco, Inc. as a sales rep selling dry cleaning chemicals and solvents. He retired when the company was sold. During his retirement, Bob worked as a bus driver’s aide to special needs children; He loved to fish and play golf.

Bob was a community-minded person who belonged to many organizations: West End Jaycees, West Richmond Businessmen’s Association, the Tobaccoland Chorus (now the Virginians), Richmond Country Club, Hermitage Country Club, Richmond Council of the Navy League, Employers Support for the Guard and Reserve, Virginia Yacht Club, American Legion, and served as president of the West Richmond Rotary Club where he had 44 years of perfect attendance.

Bob is survived by his wife of 57 years, Elizabeth Bailey Jacobs; his son Richard H. Jacobs and his wife Debbie; his daughter Katherine Jacobs Cockerham and her husband Michael; his grandson Adam Michael Adulewicz; a sister Carol Jacobs Eiland, her two sons, Chase and James, of Austin, Texas, and her daughter Dianna Kay Eiland of Arlington, VA; and his brother Richard B. Jacobs and his wife Jeannie of Katy, TX. Funeral services will be private. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Rotary Foundation, P.O. Box 7267, Richmond, VA 23221.

Celebration of 60 years since we left our old TJ high school: Reunion date is Saturday, September 7, 2019, at the Westwood Club, W. Club Lane, Richmond. We will begin at 11:30 AM with a light lunch and TJ Band concert to follow. Will finish by or before 2 PM. Then at 5:30 PM we'll meet again for a buffet dinner & dancing to 50's music by Jay Kinlaw, DJ, wrapping up at 9:30 PM. During the evening event, there will be a cash only bar. Other beverages will come with the meals. Look for correspondence in your mailbox the week of June 10th! See you on September 7th, and really looking forward to it!

Guess who lives near me (I live in Greensboro, NC)? Sarah Page FOWLER Dumouchelle lives in Burlington, NC! And, she is on facebook, too! I am hoping to get her contact information to let her know about our 60th Reunion in 2019..... and hoping she will be able to attend!!!

Our Website: http://www.classcreator.com/Richmond-Virginia-Thomas-Jefferson-1959/

Classmate grads of 1959, we have not heard from you, but..... no news is good news! Please do let us hear if you have a change of address, phone, e-mail, or ANYTHING new. We'd love to share your news with all our classmates!

The United States Air Force Rock Band and Laser show, at the request of the current cadet program, will be doing a free concert on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 at TJ at 1pm.
Location: Thomas Jefferson High School Auditorium, Richmond, VA.
Time: 1:00 PM
The AFJROTC cadets will be in attendance along with a small portion of the student body.
Handicap parking on the Antrim Street side; Elevator still located in back of school on 1st floor.
You might want to try and arrive 10 minutes early.
Jerry Woo-President-TJ 66

Christmas Card from "Miss Bateman," (our Senior Class Sponsor), AKA Helen Bateman Wall, AKA Mrs. Charles R. "Ranny" Wall. On the back of the card is her new address as of February 1st, 2015.

Anne Marchant Long, George Stone, Judy Reynolds Johnson, and Judy Pollard Hawthorne pose for a photo at the GP Reunion during the weekend of our 55TH TJ Class of '59 Reunion Weekend.

55 YEARS SINCE GRADUATION IN 1959....Saturday evening's main event at the Westwood Club, September 27, 2014.