In remembrance of my Pop, Jack Wayland Blalock
February 22, 2021
by Jon Blalock
Like so many other families during this crisis, my Pop’s friends and family now face the devastating aftermath of Covid-19. Rather than focusing on the impact of this tragedy, I will be choosing to reflect on the dad he was to me and remembering our times together with fondness. Above all else, dad cherished his family and put our needs before his without a second thought. He worked tirelessly his whole life so that we may thrive. Like all of us, he was not without his human imperfections, but I believe he always tried to do what was right. Dad was a great man, and he left an abundance of individuals lucky enough to be positively impacted by him. Although I have a plethora of beloved memories of him, I have chosen a few that either are especially treasured or further exemplify his huge heart and character.
I will never forget how involved he made himself when I began taking guitar lessons. He would often take me to visit with my granddad, R. B. Blalock, who also played. The three of us would be together for long periods playing guitar and enjoying each other’s company. My dad would also go out of his way to not only drive me to every guitar lesson, but also stay during the whole lesson. I could tell he was proud of me and loved when I would learn to play some of his favorite songs. We would often spend some lazy Sunday mornings playing all the songs that he grew up with while telling me all about the bands who wrote them.
When it became apparent that I was not inclined to any team sports, dad would take me golfing on the weekends. Weather permitting, that became my most looked forward to activity of the week. After playing together just for fun, eventually I became interested in getting better at the sport. Dad was very enthusiastic and encouraged me to try out for the golf team. He continued playing rounds with me whenever possible and even coming to my golf matches. It is without a doubt that I will remember our time together on the course when playing in the future.
Perhaps some of the best reminders of his upstanding character and good-natured humor is when he would take me along on his workdays. Pop took a huge risk and worked unbelievably hard with my mother to start their own office machine business. He made this difficult decision to improve our family’s quality of life and make it possible for my mother to work from home while raising myself and my brother Jesse. I learned an unfathomable amount about morals, ethics, and just doing the right thing in general through observing his business interactions. Dad would go far out of his way to make customers happy. This was very apparent as dad was extremely sociable and never met a stranger. Nearly all his customers loved him and would nearly make us late for our next appointment talking and cracking jokes with dad.
Outside of work, dad also showed his selflessness. I cannot remember a single time dad made a purchase just for himself. In fact, the only time it seemed he allotted for himself was during Alabama football games. Even then he would perform familial duties in between commercials and half-time. Furthermore, any wrongs Pop may have committed have surely been absolved during his care for our mother through her arduous health journey. Through cancer, brain damage, and heart disease my dad was always by her side as a devoted husband and best friend. For this act of love and kindness, I will never be able to repay him.
Surely, there is much more to be said about such a great man as my dad. Instead, however, I would like to quote a stanza from the poem Invictus by William Earnest Henley that I think applies to his life. Rather than settle for status quo and drift through his life aimlessly, Pop was in control of his life, making hard choices and doing what he felt was right.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.
I will never forget how involved he made himself when I began taking guitar lessons. He would often take me to visit with my granddad, R. B. Blalock, who also played. The three of us would be together for long periods playing guitar and enjoying each other’s company. My dad would also go out of his way to not only drive me to every guitar lesson, but also stay during the whole lesson. I could tell he was proud of me and loved when I would learn to play some of his favorite songs. We would often spend some lazy Sunday mornings playing all the songs that he grew up with while telling me all about the bands who wrote them.
When it became apparent that I was not inclined to any team sports, dad would take me golfing on the weekends. Weather permitting, that became my most looked forward to activity of the week. After playing together just for fun, eventually I became interested in getting better at the sport. Dad was very enthusiastic and encouraged me to try out for the golf team. He continued playing rounds with me whenever possible and even coming to my golf matches. It is without a doubt that I will remember our time together on the course when playing in the future.
Perhaps some of the best reminders of his upstanding character and good-natured humor is when he would take me along on his workdays. Pop took a huge risk and worked unbelievably hard with my mother to start their own office machine business. He made this difficult decision to improve our family’s quality of life and make it possible for my mother to work from home while raising myself and my brother Jesse. I learned an unfathomable amount about morals, ethics, and just doing the right thing in general through observing his business interactions. Dad would go far out of his way to make customers happy. This was very apparent as dad was extremely sociable and never met a stranger. Nearly all his customers loved him and would nearly make us late for our next appointment talking and cracking jokes with dad.
Outside of work, dad also showed his selflessness. I cannot remember a single time dad made a purchase just for himself. In fact, the only time it seemed he allotted for himself was during Alabama football games. Even then he would perform familial duties in between commercials and half-time. Furthermore, any wrongs Pop may have committed have surely been absolved during his care for our mother through her arduous health journey. Through cancer, brain damage, and heart disease my dad was always by her side as a devoted husband and best friend. For this act of love and kindness, I will never be able to repay him.
Surely, there is much more to be said about such a great man as my dad. Instead, however, I would like to quote a stanza from the poem Invictus by William Earnest Henley that I think applies to his life. Rather than settle for status quo and drift through his life aimlessly, Pop was in control of his life, making hard choices and doing what he felt was right.
It matters not how strait the gate,
How charged with punishments the scroll,
I am the master of my fate,
I am the captain of my soul.