While I am no longer doing a weekly column for NewmarketToday, I will be popping up when an important topic arises. The passing of Jack West is such a moment, and this short tribute will hopefully convey how much the community and I will miss his presence.
It is funny how we tend to categorize life into neat little packets. For me, my life will forever be divided into the Jack West years and the post-Jack West years.
I have written several columns about the merits of having a mentor, someone who can be instrumental in your life and your endeavours. When that mentor is also a dear friend, well, one has really hit the jackpot.
It is clear to me that if there had not been a Jack West, encouraging me to document our local history, there most certainly would not have been a 'History Hound.’
Jack West had been with me on this historical path for a long, long time, encouraging me to begin sharing my columns and eventually documenting our local history through oral histories. One of the essential elements of having a mentor is the part they play in motivating you when you get a little depressed or reining you in when you become excited about something, to refocus you, if you will.
Quite simply, Jack was always there for me, guiding me toward a place where I could do a better job of documenting our local history. He would critique me as to whether I had been successful in imparting the information I discovered through my research clearly and concisely to my audience.
Jack knew everybody, so being able to tell people he would be working on a particular project, be it an oral history interview or a column, opened many doors for me and my heritage work.
The entire West family has been instrumental in setting me on a course of documenting our history.
Roseanne West, Jack’s sister, was one of the first people to approach me at a Newmarket Historical Society meeting and to suggest I get up and give some heritage presentations to our membership. Roseanne gave me the courage to do so.
She and Jack made me realize sharing what you have learned is a vital element of the learning process. To this day, I have fond memories of Roseanne’s and Jack’s smiles, beaming from the audience as I stood up and talked about our local history.
Just as I have missed Roseanne, and her encouragement and direction, I shall forever be grateful to Jack for his kindness and mentorship in facilitating my interest in our local history and in documenting it, whether it be the oral histories, the columns, the presentations, or the heritage walks.
Perhaps I don’t say “thank you” enough to those people who make a difference. There are plenty of those who don’t think you can do things, who maybe don’t think what you’re doing is of any real value. The secret is to tune out those people out and focus on people like Jack West, who always encouraged me to move forward, to learn new things, and to stay calm.
He’s been a wealth of information for me on a whole series of topics relating to our local history. I think that for those people who are lucky enough to have known the West family, and particularly Jack, you are truly blessed.
I felt compelled to present this short tribute to Jack and to all the Jack Wests of the world. An era in my life has closed, but I will continue to document our local history as it is the very best way of offering tribute to this wonderful man.
Let us hope there is room for a true history hound, carrying a sax in that big band in the sky.
Newmarket resident Richard MacLeod, the History Hound, has been a local historian for more than 40 years. He conducts heritage lectures and walking tours of local interest, and leads local oral history interviews.
