Retiring Ontario HS teacher has great 'chemistry' with students
An Ontario High School teacher who is retiring May 26 keeps in touch with many of his former students long after graduation.
"... He goes to every student graduation, funeral and wedding when invited and students really love to keep in touch with him their whole life," fellow Ontario High School teacher Roger Nikiforow said.
"He teaches the human first, the content second. He really wants to make a personal connection with each student," Nikiforow said.
Rick Jacox, a U.S. Air Force veteran, has taught a total of 31 years, the past 18 years at Ontario Schools.
Served as corpsman in Air Force
Born in Biloxi, Mississippi, he spent six years in the Air Force as a Corpsman and served as a cardiopulmonary lab specialist.
Both of his parents served in the military, His mother was an officer before she resigned to have Rick. His parents' military life took him all over, living in Mississippi, California, Colorado, Texas and Germany.
Jacox worked six years for the hospitals after the military. He met his wife Sue in 1983 and married in 1984.
He moved from Denver to Ohio in 1985 when his son Zack was born. His wife said, "He wanted to teach kids and stay close to home. Rick traveled a lot with the hospitals. He loves to teach and share his knowledge of science with others."
Jacox started his teaching career in 1991 at North Baltimore where he taught for three years. Then he took a position at Clear Fork High School, where he taught for 10 years.
Former Ontario student says teacher played pivotal role in her education
Lin Abigail "Abbey" Tan, a 2019 graduate of Ontario High School and a 2022 graduate of the University of Cincinnati who us starting medical school this fall, said she took six courses with "Mr. Jacox," including CCP chemistry, CCP physics, and honors organic biochemistry.
"I am fortunate to be one of the many students Mr. Jacox has taught throughout his career. He was always patient and kind, even in the face of failure, and his wry humor was definitely the highlight of any class. Throughout my undergraduate years, we've kept a regular correspondence. I'd share with him experiences from my life in college, and I'd look forward to emails filled with his own stories, bits of wisdom, and unwavering encouragement.
"I'm sure the students and staff at OHS will miss him when he's gone, but his impact will extend beyond the walls of any classroom. Mr. Jacox has played a pivotal role in my development not only as a student of science, but a lifelong scholar, and for that I'm immensely grateful," Tan said.
Ontario Schools colleagues, wife, talk about Jacox
Jacox was described as a true friend, mentor, confidant, father figure to all.
"Highly intelligent. His thought processes are at a level higher than most. He doesn’t consider himself this way but he is. He had poor performance in high school but matured after and blossomed into a real scholar," NIkiforow said.
"Loves God, country and family and speaks of them regularly, loves his wife Sue and son Zach and his wife and his grandchild. He is working for them, not himself. His ultimate goal is to take care of them. I never heard him speak of himself, or any hobby or anything other than them and his work here, truly dedicated and loving," Nikiforow said.
A cancer survivor, Jacox has worked through a lot of tough medical issues in his career.
"He hated to take off work. Worked when he was sick just to be here," Nikiforow added.
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He worked the equivalent of two teaching jobs. He would be in school most Saturdays and spent a lot of the summer working.
Jacox got to school at 6 a.m. and often would work late. He was the first person at the school every day, blasting classic rock music that could be heard down the hall. He often set off the school's security alarms because he was there so much after hours, Nikiforow said.
He put days and years into creating student podcasts, labs and even translating material for foreign students, he said, noting that Jacox was voted teacher of the year several times by the students.
"His labs and lab equipment — he took great pride in neat, organized, up-to-date technology, best he could provide for student, sometimes spending his own money on supplies and writing several successful grants," Nikiforow added.
Even after he knew he was retiring, he worked to help the new teacher be prepared, sharing lessons, his room, equipment and his craft with the new teacher, Nikiforow said.
"A true person for people to emulate. He is the most sincere person I have ever met, ultimately grateful and kind to all. He often would get his work done just so he could have the time to have conversations with people," he added.
Stingel Elementary day custodian at Ontario Schools Nick Toombs contacted the News Journal asking that a story be written for Jacox as he retires. He reached out to others, including Jacox's wife, for comments.
"He's been my hero for as long as I've known him. His character and his approach on life are his best traits along with his passion for his faith in God," his wife said.
Toombs said his own mother has taught with Rick both at Clear Fork and Ontario for over 20 years.
"So I've had the privilege to see the impact he's had on his students and fellow staff members, but also everyone he comes in contact with," Toombs said. "As a co-worker, Rick is the role model figure and a leader to his fellow staff members and students. His dedication for teaching and helping others comes second to none."
Jacox plans to travel in retirement
Jacox, 65, said he's going to travel with his wife after retirement. He said his wife has allowed him to spend so much time in his classroom.
Modestly, Jacox said he never felt he had a natural gift for teaching.
He said he has taught in two great school districts and has enjoyed a wealth of support from parents other teachers.
Monday, he said the students, staff members and community have made him a better teacher.
"I will miss the conversations and the interactions," he said from his classroom. "I will miss them figuring out what's true about themselves because that's the fun part of watching them grow — when they understand, 'I can do this,'" he said.
Jacox said a lot of students have emailed him after they graduated from high school.
"Part of it is they see things I told them to be prepared for and it happens," he said.
"I think having done other work other than teaching builds a little bit of a bridge for them," he added.
"We continue the conversation," he said. "For me the conversation is how we extend value to each other and so I always try to be positive with them and to keep an open door."
lwhitmir@gannett.com
419-521-7223
Twitter: @LWhitmir
This article originally appeared on Mansfield News Journal: Jacox, a U.S. Air Force veteran, has taught 31 years
