December 31, 2017

Southampton, Ontario
Canada

Dear Gil, Liz and Will:

Jamie has been in my thoughts since I learned of his death late last week, but I’ve also thought of him often and fondly in the years since he graduated. My heart aches for you.

I’m sorry I wasn’t able to attend Jamie’s memorial service yesterday. I live in Ontario, Canada now, right on Lake Huron. Jamie told me your family owned a place in Grand Bend, so I’m sure you’re familiar with the snow squalls and difficult driving we’ve been experiencing recently.

I wanted to let you know how much Jamie means to me. He was one of the most gifted and memorable Mock Trial students I ever had who could run circles around the opposition, as a lawyer and a witness. Jamie was part of that extraordinary cohort of students who joined the team in the fall of 2000: Maggie, Helen, Zahreen and Alice, who started as ninth graders and stayed faithfully with Mock Trial for four solid years. Jamie made us laugh, shake our heads in wonder at his brilliance in trial and rehearsal, and sometimes make the coaches want to tear our hair out when, in his passion, he forgot about the timer in trial. I still remember a judge in a state championship final round during his junior year calling Jamie the best Mock Trial witness she’d ever seen. In his senior year, Jamie made the defense closing argument in the championship round; it was so strong and effective that I used the video as a teaching example for future teams.

As you know, Mock Trial is much more than the competition. We spent so much time together in rehearsal, and I know the kids spent even more time together themselves. I never saw Jamie be mean or ungenerous towards his peers or his elders. I remember a couple of days before the state finals one year, I had been reminding students to get their trial clothes ready, haircuts, etc. It was Thursday night rehearsal, and Jamie still hadn’t gotten a haircut, despite my and a couple of the girls’ nagging. I asked him if I could give him a ride to the barber the next day sometime before we left for the tournament. He looked at me with the sweetest smile, and said, “Cheryl, you don’t need to do that”. Sure enough, when we assembled at 3 PM the next day to head to Lansing, he showed up with his hair trimmed, part of the team.

Jamie was gifted, but was never arrogant about his gift, enriching all of us through his wit, kindness and friendship.

With my deepest condolences,

Cheryl Grace