Zak Jones

[murphdivers286]

I didn't know Zak personally, but my wife (baitedstorm) did. If she says he was a great person and great instructor, it is good enough for me. I'm sorry I did not get the priviledge of learning directly from him, but I know I will learn a lot from him through my own great instructor. His family are in my thoughts and prayers.

:sad:

 

[Frank@Pro Dive]

Words are not adequate to express the feelings we have here at Pro Dive over the loss of Zak so I will not even attempt to put them down. Sevices will be held in Seatle on Sunday and a Press Release is out and will be available on our Website (www.prodiveusa.com) tomorrow. There is a vehicle to give a gift to his family outlined in the release. Your prayers and good wished are appreciated.

 

[TobagoChromis]

Frank we do appreciate you leaving a message here. I know I speak for all who were fortunate to meet Zak when I say he will be greatly missed. I was speaking to some other exProDive grads about setting up a Zak Jones fund for instructors or anyone interested in pursuing a carrer in the dive industry.

Solomon

 

[makomike]

Ya Thanks Frank. That is a great idea guys. He definitely deserves that. His age, his knowledge, his enthusiasm he was surely destin for greatness!! Count me in and if there is anything I can do please let me know. My future students will benfit from his instruction as I have.

 

[waynne fowler]

I have sat here reading this thread with incredible wonderment as my heart is breaking. I got the call that Zak had passed away just a few hours after it happened. I was awestruck with the news and have been trying to find out any news I could these past few days about how this happened.
Then I find this thread and I see all you people on here with such wonderful things to say about someone that you didn't know all that long.. I am... amazed and ashamed of myself at the same time...
You see in trying to find out how he died.. I had not really remembered just how Zak had lived...

I don't know how to express the feeling of loss here in the PNW. This is truly one of the two greatest tragedies that the dive community here has faced. But for me, there is oddly some comfort in knowing that others such as yourselves who really only knew him for a relatively short time, had come to love and respect him as much as we have here in the PNW where he spent so many years... There is great comfort to know that he was surrounded by people like all of you..

I feel a loss. But at the same time I feel great pride, satisfaction, and thankfulness that I got to know someone of Zak's caliber. After reading the things you all have written and I sit here with the front of my shirt soaking wet from crying, hardly able to read what I am writing through the tears. I realize that I weep not only because Zak has died.... and I know this sounds strange but I don't know how to say it just right.. But I am more sad that others will never experience the way he lived..

Good night Zak.. sleep well until we are awakened.

You all are an amazing group of people.. Zak must have been proud to know all of you..

 

[Solitude Diver]

Wow! One can only hope to be remembered as this person was. He obviously touched many people’s lives.

My condolences to the family, friends, and all of those who knew this person.

 

[matjo1]

I’m having a real problem dealing with this. Old people are supposed to die. It sucks, but that’s life. They’ve had their time on this earth, they’ve had their chance - they have wives and husbands and old friends waiting for them up there. This is different. It wasn’t Zak’s time to go. The fact that he was one of the only person I knew who truly lived life to the fullest or that he died doing what he loved doesn’t seem to help me get over this. It’s not fair. I know life rarely is, but this time, it’s just not fair.

I was lucky enough to meet Zak when I came to Prodive for my IDC in august. It was only minutes into my first lecture with Zak that I realized I had come to the right place. He was truly an awesome teacher. The confidence and genuine interest that he had in his students was far superior to any other teacher I have had in the past. To him we were more than students – we were his protégés and he somehow found a way to bring out the very best in all of us. He made me strive to be as good of a diver as he was. I learned so much from him – a true mentor. The fact that the diving industry has been crippled by his loss I think is a true understatement.


If his family is reading this, I want them to know that Zak not only touched lives, he changed them. I showed up at Prodive as an insecure father of 2 who hadn’t worked in two and a half years due to health problems. I was looking to reorient my career in the diving industry, a life long passion, and because of Zak and the Prodive staff, I left 6 weeks later as a confident scuba instructor with a totally new outlook on life. The amazing thing is that I don’t think he knew how much he was helping me – but that’s how he was – because of his attitude, his wit, his smile, his incredible passion and well…his hat, you couldn’t help but be changed after meeting Zak. I am forever indebted to him for that.

… A truly unique individual.

To Robyn, his family, his friends and all who knew him, I would like to offer my deepest condolences. I only knew him for six weeks; I can only imagine what you are all going through.

Please keep writing posts, I think we can all use the memories.

I’m diving in Monterey tomorrow; I know you’ll be looking out for me…Bye Zak.

Matt, Sacramento

 

[Tom Winters]

It seems a little curious that this guy died 10 days ago off "east Florida" and there has not been one mention of the accident in any of the newspapers from the counties of Monroe, Miami-Dade, Broward, Palm Beach, Martin, Post St. Lucie, and Jacksonville (Key West to Jacksonville); no mention on CDNN; and one peripheral hit on Google news in a story about the search for Penny Glover's body in France.
Stuff like this usually makes the news somewhere.

 

[JGibeault]

In an order to shift this a little bit, I'd like to share one of my memories. I encourage all of you that had contact with him to do the same so Zak may live on through all of us.

One day on our way out for a dive, Zak's "famous" straw hat blew off his head and into the channel. He walked to the wheelhouse to ask Capt. Stu to turn the boat around so he could get his hat. Unbelievably, Capt. Stu turned the boat around, the hat was hooked and rescued. We asked him what made him turn the boat around, he replied, "I like that hat." We all liked that hat. It made it really easy to spot Zak walking by the pool or to the boat. All you had to do was look down slightly from the brim and there was his frat-boy looking smile.

His hat is safely on his desk the last time I saw it, and just seeing it brought back all the good feelings. As much of a pain as he was at times, I will always remember him for teaching me not only to be a better diver, but a better person. We love you Zak.

 

[Rossiapacifica]

An obituary appeared in the Seattle area papers on December 3.

Click Here. You can sign a guest book.

The Fort Lauderdal Sun-Sentinel published an obituary on 11/29/05. Click Here.

The "Clifton Business Journal" near Kankakee Illinois, published this Notice.

His Web Page and Bio.

The Pro-Dive Web site with a
Remembrance.

The Norwest Dive news Forum regarding Zak: Click Here.

Comments regarding Zak on the forum Rebreather World.

A photo from one of his many activites in the Seattle area.

There are hundreds of photos being passed around via e-mail. I'm wondering how they could all be collected?

It has already been stated here that the memorial will be held at the Seattle Aquarium on Sunday, December 4th at 7:00 PM. (The Kankakee Illinois Business Journal says 6:00 PM.) Bring Photos of Zak, photos of scuba activities, and stories.

Any specific questions about the gathering can be addressed by Fred Doner (007argonaut@msn.com).

May he enjoy his peaceful dive through the great void.

Rossiapacifica