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Nat Jobe P’85 ’86 Memorialized at Woodberry
Family, friends, colleagues, alumni, and students gathered at Woodberry on November 3rd to memorialize legendary Woodberry teacher, coach, and advisor Nat Jobe P’85 ’86. Mr. Jobe’s widow, Wistie, and their children Cary Jobe ’85 and Peyton Jobe ’86 hosted the event.
At least 19 attendees, including teaching colleagues and alumni from his first and last sixth-form classes, paid tribute to and shared memories about Nat at the reception. Here are photos from the reception, here is an attendance list, and here is a list of some of those who shared memories. Here are some of those tributes.
Friend and former Woodberry colleague Steve Ehrlich joined with three of Mr. Jobe’s former students, Will Straughan ’92 and brothers Courtney Little ’91 and Carter Little ’94, to perform three songs in Mr. Jobe’s honor:
- The band played “Blue Ridge Mountain Home” in tribute to Nat’s love of bluegrass music and to the Blue Ridge Mountain Home where he and Wistie retired.
- The band introduced “Centerfield” by John Fogerty (“Put me in, Coach. I’m ready to play.”) as the song that Nat played for the baseball team as they arrived at away games.
- The band explained that they played “Walk Through this World With Me,” which was made famous by George Jones, because Nat loved that song and because one of his favorite bluegrass bands, The Seldom Scene, often played it.
Here are some photos and videos of the band’s performance.
Note that two of the speakers were students Nat taught at Virginia Episcopal School prior to the Jobes’ move to Woodberry. Marvin Barnard (VES ’71) was among the first black students at VES and shared his story with “This American Life” and the New York Times. Bob Gorrell (VES ’73) is a nationally-syndicated cartoonist.
Guests also enjoyed the alumni photography exhibit in the Baker Gallery that included photos by Cary Jobe ’85.
As we prepare an article about Mr. Jobe for the Woodberry magazine, you may continue to share tributes to and memories and stories about him at alumni@woodberry.org. Also, please share photos and tributes from the Celebration of Life reception.
Visit this Nat Jobe P’85 ’86 page for links and more articles and videos about him.
Woodberry Forest School is an exceptional private school community for high school boys in grades nine through twelve. It is one of the top boarding schools in the United States and one of the only all-boys, all-boarding schools in the country.
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Woodberry Forest admits students of any race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, and national or ethnic origin to all of the rights, privileges, programs, and activities generally accorded or made available to students at the school. It does not discriminate on the basis of race, color, sexual orientation, disability, religious belief, or national or ethnic origin in the administration of its educational policies, admissions policies, scholarship and loan programs, and athletic or other school-administered programs. The school is authorized under federal law to enroll nonimmigrant students.