Everybody knew James “Jabo” Jabaley. More importantly, at least to my way of thinking, everybody knew him as “the nicest guy ever.”
Since his death Nov. 5, I bet I’ve heard from two dozen people who said those exact words. I’ve known lots of people who’ve known lots of people. Usually they are well-connected in certain worlds. You know, “he knows everybody in North Georgia.”
It is certainly true that anyone connected with the local high school wrestling community not only knew of Jabo, they knew him on a personal level. The same is true of folks connected with Notre Dame High School.
But Jabo’s reach went further. It’s no secret that he battled his demons. Because of that, Jabo met a lot of people in our community who also were dealing with addictions. It’s hard to know how many people were touched over the years by Jabo. Maybe it was just a hug, a smile or a kind word, all of which he gave freely. Maybe it was much more.
Judging by the number of people who waited in line Sunday to offer their condolences to the family, it’s not an exaggeration to say that Jabo touched hundreds of people.