Joy in the midst of great
sadness.Richard
Jackoboice was seated in his wheelchair near the front door
of his Fairlawn Heights home, surrounded by family and
friends Friday night, when a rush of musicians with
instruments came pouring down his street.
They stopped in front of
his home and began a private serenade designed for him --
the creator and longtime leader of their band, the
University of Akron's Zips Band.
They were 156 strong. It
was their way of thanking Richard Jackoboice for all he has
meant to the university, to music and to the community.
It came just at the right
time. Jackoboice died about 10 p.m. Tuesday of renal cancer.
The repertoire included the
university's fight song and alma mater, Temptation, a
Tribute to Vegas and Happy Together, a 1960s
pop song.
``It was the best and most
fitting tribute anyone could have done for Richard,'' wife
Karin Jackoboice said of the 40-minute concert.
Richard Jackoboice came to
UA in 1967, the day after it became a state school. He
promised then-UA President Norm Auburn a 100-piece band,
which he delivered, then nearly doubled it the second year.
His goal was to build a
marching band program in the same tradition of the Big Ten.
``Unless a marching band
can offer its members an artistic experience, too, then they
have little reason to exist,'' he was quoted as saying in
1969.
``He was amazingly
successful at it,'' said Galen Karriker, director of the
marching and concert bands. ``He did the same for the
concert band as well.... We are extremely indebted to him
for his years of service and hard work. He was the right man
for the job.''
Director for 23 years
The 65-year-old Jackoboice
was director of bands for 23 years and director of the
university's undergraduate music department.
He and his wife of 26 years
-- the former Karin O'Malley -- were high school sweethearts
back in East Grand Rapids, Mich. ``We broke up my freshman
year of college because I thought music was more important
to him than I was,'' she said. ``So I married my chemistry
lab partner.''
After her first husband
died in 1979, the high school sweethearts reconnected and
were married the following year.
Richard Jackoboice had
never married. His mantra had always been, ``I won't marry
someone I don't love,'' reminisced his wife, a retired
registered nurse.
They have six daughters and
13 grandchildren.
Jackoboice remained a rabid
fan of his alma mater, the University of Michigan. Before
coming to Akron, he was band director at Cornell University
and the University of Minnesota. He also took a yearlong
sabbatical while at UA, studying conducting in Vienna.
He retired in 1989. He
was approached three years ago by some former students,
asking him to serve as conductor of a brass band they wanted
to form,'' Karin Jackoboice said.
That gave birth to the
Freedom Brass Band of Northeast Ohio. ``He loved that band
so very much,'' his wife said. ``And he never took a dime
for doing it.''
The band is presenting the
Children's Concert Society performance at the Civic Theatre
this month. ``Unfortunately, he will not be there,'' said
Karin Jackoboice, who plays percussion for Freedom Brass, as
well as oboe for the New Horizons Band and the Goodyear
Band.
Richard Jackoboice remained
active until recently. One Wednesday this month, he drove to
UA to rehearse the Shostakovich Festival Overture, his wife
said. ``He was to be the guest conductor for the U's
symphony that Sunday. But he didn't make it,'' she said.
Concert a tribute
At the start of the
concert, Bob Jorgensen, who is assistant dean of the School
of Fine Arts and oversees the band programs, talked about
Jackoboice and all that he meant to the band.
``The concert was dedicated
to him, and he received a five-minute standing ovation,''
Karin Jackoboice said.
Karriker said after the
concert that he and Jorgensen talked about going to the
Jackoboices' home, and everyone was in agreement. ``We
didn't call the police or anything. We just did it,'' said
Karriker. He ordered a Ryder truck to haul the 16 tubas and
percussion equipment.
Retired UA President
Dominic Guzzetta, who led the school during much of
Jackoboice's reign, accompanied the band.
The band marched from the
Jackoboices' old house at Wolcott and Covington to their new
home at the French Quarter.
Dr. Herbert Hanlon of
Akron, retired physician and lawyer who serves as booking
and publicity agent for the brass band, called Richard
Jackoboice ``completely dedicated to music'' and the brass
band in particular. ``He did so much arranging and composing
of music for the brass band, which saved a ton of money
because we didn't have to buy all that sheet music.
``We used to have
discussions when he could barely open his eyes and he would
always perk up when we were talking about the band.''
Hanlon saw that in his
friend's face Friday when UA's band came to call.
``Temptation really
drew a response from him,'' Karriker said. ``Although he
wasn't able to speak very loudly, you could see it in his
face.''
It was his last hurrah.
``By Saturday night, he didn't know any of us,'' said Karin
Jackoboice.
