Gordon Jackson. FHHS '68, mentioned in a posting on the alumni website that a classmate from FHHS '68 had passed in a car accident in 1966 and never graduated with his class.
We are adding Joe Fix to the alumni website to remember him.
- Submitted by Joe Gililland, FHHS '73 on March 6, 2017
A nice gesture, Joe, and thanks for everything you do to keep FH memories alive. Joe Fix has been out front riding point for the class of '68 for 51 years now, and certainly deserves a remembrance.
I knew him only from sitting behind him in U.S. history class. He was an excellent student, a bit on the quiet side and a very nice guy. One Friday in November 1966 he was there, on Monday he wasn't.
My recollection (which could be wrong) is that he was driving his siblings home from church and the collison occurred where the Parkway has curved around past Mt. Vernon at the intersection where you turn to go to Mt. Vernon High (still Walt Whitman to some of us). It was considered a pretty dangerous intersection at the time. I believe the other driver was a senior at Fort Hunt. I don't think anyone else was hurt badly.
I can't imagine there was ever a sadder week at Fort Hunt, even while the football team was capping off a 9-1 season. The funeral took place during school hours and quite a few students attended. I believe it was at a Catholic church on the river side of Washington St. in Old Town. The song 'Winchester Cathedral,' charting at the time, plays in my head whenever I remember that day.
No doubt most of us have had occasion by now to reflect on the unfairness of life. The Fix family got a dose of that early on. Most of us got those 51 years Joe didn't, and it was a promising life he had ahead of him. He was a good guy.
Nice post, Gordon. Thanks for adding that additional, personal information. It's a good reminder to slow down and be thankful for what we have...young deaths, in particular, seem very random and we should all feel lucky to be around to remember those who are no longer with us.
Thanks Gordy, it is nice to see people remembering Joe. He was a friend of mine and the Fix family lived across the street from us. First kid I met at Fort Hunt as a new guy, sophomore year. Joe was everything you said, steady, very intelligent, and with a great heart. One of my fondest memories is building a dock with Joe, our little brothers, and Bruce Rose on Little Hunting Creek. Had to walk right behind Joe's house to get to it.
Have never forgotten him, or his loss, but the world is a little better place because we had him briefly. All the best, John
Joe Fix was, in fact, a wonderful person. I met him in Alabama the year before we came to Ft. Hunt. When my brother Steve Farris and I got to Ft. Hunt, the school year was underway. Joe had our class schedules ready for us and made the transition easy. I was devastated by his death! Joe, his younger brother, Tom, and his sister were in the car. They were returning from confession. Tom was injured and Joe's sister was trapped in the back seat with a broken leg. Joe was the oldest of six children. Joe was buried in Arlington. A few years ago, his father was also laid to rest next to Joe. We raised money in Joe's memory to support the new efforts, at the time,to have seatbelts in cars.
John, looking at your profile reminds me of how I was almost one of car wreck deaths numbers 2, 3 and 4 in the class of '68. You mentioned going to Senator games. Were you at the beer cup games circa May, '68, when it had dawned on a few of our mates that you could buy beer in D.C. at 18, they were now 18, and there was beer aplenty for sale at (still then) D.C.Stadium? About 20-30 FH seniors went to a couple of games and the cups were piled high. But I didn't imbibe until going off to college and being corrupted.
I was in the passenger seat riding home, sober as a judge, Rick Deranek at the wheel lit up like a Christmas tree, Doug Timmerberg more or less passed out in back, and oblivious as the speedometer hit 105 on 295. I was absolutely terrified, which I think is pretty much what Rick had in mind.
Nice move, by the way, marrying Carol. If memory serves, I had a crush on her in French class freshman year. Still cute as ever.
it's great to see people who knew Joe well weighing in. If you're looking for evidence that the good die young, he's got to be one of the first exhibits. Bobbie, say hello to Steve for me. I;m thinking he was definitely at the beer cup games. All best, Gordy.
Gordon Jackson (1968)
A nice gesture, Joe, and thanks for everything you do to keep FH memories alive. Joe Fix has been out front riding point for the class of '68 for 51 years now, and certainly deserves a remembrance.
I knew him only from sitting behind him in U.S. history class. He was an excellent student, a bit on the quiet side and a very nice guy. One Friday in November 1966 he was there, on Monday he wasn't.
My recollection (which could be wrong) is that he was driving his siblings home from church and the collison occurred where the Parkway has curved around past Mt. Vernon at the intersection where you turn to go to Mt. Vernon High (still Walt Whitman to some of us). It was considered a pretty dangerous intersection at the time. I believe the other driver was a senior at Fort Hunt. I don't think anyone else was hurt badly.
I can't imagine there was ever a sadder week at Fort Hunt, even while the football team was capping off a 9-1 season. The funeral took place during school hours and quite a few students attended. I believe it was at a Catholic church on the river side of Washington St. in Old Town. The song 'Winchester Cathedral,' charting at the time, plays in my head whenever I remember that day.
No doubt most of us have had occasion by now to reflect on the unfairness of life. The Fix family got a dose of that early on. Most of us got those 51 years Joe didn't, and it was a promising life he had ahead of him. He was a good guy.
Joe Gililland (1973)
Nice post, Gordon. Thanks for adding that additional, personal information. It's a good reminder to slow down and be thankful for what we have...young deaths, in particular, seem very random and we should all feel lucky to be around to remember those who are no longer with us.
John Patton (1968)
Thanks Gordy, it is nice to see people remembering Joe. He was a friend of mine and the Fix family lived across the street from us. First kid I met at Fort Hunt as a new guy, sophomore year. Joe was everything you said, steady, very intelligent, and with a great heart. One of my fondest memories is building a dock with Joe, our little brothers, and Bruce Rose on Little Hunting Creek. Had to walk right behind Joe's house to get to it.
Have never forgotten him, or his loss, but the world is a little better place because we had him briefly. All the best, John
Bobbie Farris (McGowan) (1968)
Joe Fix was, in fact, a wonderful person. I met him in Alabama the year before we came to Ft. Hunt. When my brother Steve Farris and I got to Ft. Hunt, the school year was underway. Joe had our class schedules ready for us and made the transition easy.I was devastated by his death! Joe, his younger brother, Tom, and his sister were in the car. They were returning from confession. Tom was injured and Joe's sister was trapped in the back seat with a broken leg. Joe was the oldest of six children. Joe was buried in Arlington. A few years ago, his father was also laid to rest next to Joe. We raised money in Joe's memory to support the new efforts, at the time,to have seatbelts in cars.
Gordon Jackson (1968)
John, looking at your profile reminds me of how I was almost one of car wreck deaths numbers 2, 3 and 4 in the class of '68. You mentioned going to Senator games. Were you at the beer cup games circa May, '68, when it had dawned on a few of our mates that you could buy beer in D.C. at 18, they were now 18, and there was beer aplenty for sale at (still then) D.C.Stadium? About 20-30 FH seniors went to a couple of games and the cups were piled high. But I didn't imbibe until going off to college and being corrupted.
I was in the passenger seat riding home, sober as a judge, Rick Deranek at the wheel lit up like a Christmas tree, Doug Timmerberg more or less passed out in back, and oblivious as the speedometer hit 105 on 295. I was absolutely terrified, which I think is pretty much what Rick had in mind.
Nice move, by the way, marrying Carol. If memory serves, I had a crush on her in French class freshman year. Still cute as ever.
it's great to see people who knew Joe well weighing in. If you're looking for evidence that the good die young, he's got to be one of the first exhibits. Bobbie, say hello to Steve for me. I;m thinking he was definitely at the beer cup games. All best, Gordy.