Its been better than a month since he posted was wondering if hes Okay about 2 weeks ago got and email returned something about server couldn't find or something like that.
please read next entry
Life's hard, even harder if your stupid John Wayne
http://rtssite.shutterfly.com/
i found his phone number and I found out by calling that he has died he died the 8th of March. was burried this past monday.
may you rest in piece Navy Jack
Sad times for the Coffee Pot. I thought of him yesterday. Thought it was one of those times he did not post for a few days. Did not realize how long it had been. I think this is a first for the Coffee Pot.
God bless TCA 05-58541 Benefactor Member of the NRA, Member of the American Legion, Retired Boss Hog of Roseyville , KC&D Qualified
RIP NAVYJACK - sad news.
Ray
Bayville, NJ
Life is what happens to youWhile you're busy making other plans - John Lennon
I was truly impressed with the man. I don't know what his affliction was, but for him to be a parapalegic, and confined to bed, what a miserable life. He didn't seem that old either. He sure brought around the feeling that if you think you have it rough, look around a little bit, and someone is always having a worse time of it. Didn't hear him complain alot, just commenting on situations. I hope that his family is not taken advantage of for his train collection. (Its too bad that TCA, TTOS, or some organization doesn't provide some type of free valuation service for surviving spouses.)
Rest in Peace, Jack! We will miss you !
Don
May God have mercy on his eternal soul
You will be missed
I might have been the last one from the Pot to speak with him. I called him on either the 5th or 6th. He said that he would call me last weekend and when he did not I thought that he was not feeling well. The last time that I spoke with him he started loosing his voice, but that happened often. We both looked forward from hearing from one another and he was a wealth of knowledge. He was bedridden, the effects from exposure of Agent Orange. He was woking on building up his strength to operate a small layout by his bed. He had a very interesting life and we shared a lot of the same interests and likes.
We were planning on meeting this summer. I was to go to his house and help him build his layout, on wheels, so that his wife, Gigi, or the health care worker could attend to him.
He had a great sense of humor and we sometimes spent over an hour on the phone. I will miss him for sure.
Rest in Peace, Jack, I will sound the whistle long and loud.
John
RIP Navy Jack. I will miss reading your posts.
Charlie a.k.a. MichiganRailRoad714 (Charter Member TTC)
Jack seemed like a really nice guy and we spoke on facebook several times. I don't think he would mind if I posted his picture from his FB page.
Hope that link works here. Prayers for his family and friends.
http://www.buckwheelerhyland.com/obits/obituaries.php/obitID/711297/obit/Jack-W-Virgin-Sr
RIP Chewy - best dog I ever had.
Sad news, RIP Jack.
"IT's GOOD TO BE THE KING",by Mel Brooks
Charter Member- Tardis Train Crew (TTC) - Detroit3railers- Detroit Historical society Glancy Modular trains- Charter member BTTS
You will be missed Navyjack.
Good morning all,
My condolences to the family. Always enjoyed his posts. Will blow the whistle once for him. This IS a tough year.
Keep on training,
Mike C. from Indiana
Navyjack.....I will blow the whistles for you. I hope you will rest in peace.
Chuck
Prayers for NAVYJACK. I'll TOOT the whistle tonite for you. RIP.
laz57
Rest in peace, NavyJack.
Like the rest of you I am stunned by the sudden passing of NavyJack. The Jack I came to know through this forum looked ahead.
The CTT forum, the POT, and the folks he has met here expanded his world outside the four walls of his home and connected him to a world he could not otherwise have discovered.
Though I had never spoken with him by phone, Jack and I had exchanged emails since last August. Our personal paths had never crossed, but we shared stories of growing up in the same neighborhoods in Chicago around the same time. Early in my life we lived just a mile apart, later about three miles. Growing up we went to the same beaches, the same miniature golf course, the same hot dog stand, and the same Chicago park district facilities.
His wife Gigi was the light of his life. His simple joys and his most serious concerns always seemed centered around his family and a neighbor in need, not himself. Despite his condition, he was looking forward to the day when he could operate a modest layout. Just over three weeks ago he observed to me that his prayers for better health care for his family and himself might have been answered, but where that went I don't know.
His 22 years of service to his country speaks volumes about the man. And if his passing has taught me one thing it is this. We are given just this day, no more and no less. We can choose to embrace it. Or we can waste it, caught up in meaningless worries and concerns.
Like the rest of you.......had I known NavyJack would leave us so soon, I might have tried harder to have been more to him and for him.
Rest in peace, Jack.
Jack
IF IT WON'T COME LOOSE BY TAPPING ON IT, DON'T TRY TO FORCE IT. USE A BIGGER HAMMER.
Sad about this. Just spoke to him too - about trains, the weather, his growing up in Chicago...
Doug Murphy 'We few, we happy few, we band of brothers...' Henry V.
Rest in Peace Navyjack. Prayers for your family.
We had exchanged some PMs via the forum and I was expecting an answer from him that never came and did not know why but had assumed his health was the cause. I, as all of us, will miss him.
I lost a very good friend and co-worker 10 years ago due to Agent Orange. At the time they did not know how bad it really was and the front line troops regularly got showered in it. May you also rest in peace Larry.
Regards, Roy
Sad news indeed.RIP Jack. Prayers for your family.
.
Sad news. I never had close contact with Jack, as I have not been real active on the forum since he started posting, but it is a blow to have a forum member pass away suddenly like that. Rest in Peace Jack, our prayers go out to his family.
Loosing Navyjack (J Virgin) was a real shock.
I think I knew him as well as anyone. He was a quadriplegic, unable to to move except for one arm moved some. We sent him several of our sheepskin bed pads to make him more comfortable. In return, GiGie sent us some of her great breads and pastries.
Something you may not know, he ran a toy train store, but he ask me not to tell anyone, so I didn't. He kept trying to get someone to build him a small layout next to his bed so he could have someone run some of him MANY trains, but no one ever did. I wish I lived closer to him.
I will miss him greatly.
Pat
RFD-TV --- Rural America's most important network!
Pat,
He told me about the train shop also. He had closets and boxes full of trains. During the 70's to help provide for his family, when he was in the Navy, he bought, repaired and sold trains. I am hoping that his Grandson, I believe his name is Jackie, will carry on. He was willing to help build the layout for Jack. It is a shame that his sons did not help him when he really needed them. Jack and I were planning the layout and I was going to take a week's vacation and go to Illinois to help him with my son and his grandson. About a month ago he was excited with the encouraging news that he may be able to build up his strength to sit up and then he was able to run the trains. He had me on the lookout for Williams Virginian Passenger cars that were made a few years ago to go with his Trainmaster. The last time I spoke with him he started to loose his voice and he told me that he was not feeling well, he was sure that it was nothing and he would call me back. That call never came. I ran the trains tonight and gave him a nice long dual steam whistle blast, a dual electric whistle blast ( he had a love for the S2 electrics, sorry he had to settle for a pair of GG1's) and a dual diesel blast.
Rest in Peace Jack
Guys, while I have not been as active lately, I do consider this gang an extension of my circle of friends. I have met a number of you, but not as many as I hope to some day. I have exchanged emails with Jack, but certainly didn't know him as well as some. From what I did know and from what kind things have been said, I wish I knew him better. I will lift up his family in prayer.
God Bless,
Dennis
TCA#09-63805
Gone but certainly not forgotten. Rest In Peace NavyJack.
I posted my initial reaction on the coffee pot but would like to include my condolences and prayers for the comfort of his family on this thread as well. I enjoyed listening to Jack's comments on the Pot. That man sure had his share of intestinal fortitude. He never gave up his pursuit and love of toy trains in spite of his handicaps. I too would have loved to have been able to help build him a layout if I had lived near him. I sounded my whistles long and sadly for Jack. R.I.P. buddy. We will miss you.
SPMan
I was shocked to hear about the passing of NavyJack. We exchanged a number of emails and I talked to him a few times of the phone. I think we once spent over an hour swapping old Navy stories. While Jack was in the Navy he worked with the Seabees of which I was a member. He definitely had an interesting career. He was always curious about the progress I was making with my train and on my old cars.
Most of all, Jack was very supporting and encouraging during my recent troubles. I believe he initiated the first phone call after I had mentioned something about it in an email. He called repeated times for several days and didn't give up until he got an answer. Turns out he used to do some of this type of work in the Navy and I guess he never stopped. It was always a pleasure and an honor to talk to him. I will miss him greatly.
Bob
Tucson, AZ (aka the Ol' Pueblo)
Home of the Mt. Graham & Arizona Eastern Boiler Shops
It would really be great, if it was possible to send a copy of this thread to his wife. As we all know the wealth of a man is measured by his friends, and it is quite obvious Jack was wealthy indeed!
RIP, Jack !
May he rest in peace.
Prayers for Navy Jack and his family.
We know that finally he has "FAIR WINDS AND FOLLOWING SEAS"
We'll miss you mate!
Prayers for all in need, Especially those in harms way.
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