Deceased Classmate: 1963 Jonathan A. Bagley
Date Of Birth: 5-21-1945
Date Deceased: 12-20-2014
Age at Death: 69
Cause of Death: COPD
Classmate City: Lake Park (Cabana Colony)
Classmate State: FL
Classmate Country: USA
Was a Veteran: Yes
Survived By: Pamela (Wife) One son One Daughter
Jon was one of the good guys. Always up and enjoying life. We certainly had some memorable times together on the golf course and at the local dance halls.
Jon and I had two things in common. One was staying married to our lovely original wives, and the second NOT graduating with our Class of 63.
Over the last few years I'd occasionally visit Jon when I was up in the North end of town. I was ready to give him a call when I received the news of his passing. His son had posted a message on Facebook. I'll include it now as it really says it all. RIP Jon
"THIS HAS TO BE THE HARDEST POST IVE EVER HAD TO POST .... TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THE 20TH OF DEC 2014 MY FATHER WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW AS POPS HAS LOST HIS BATTLE WITH COPD AND HAS PASSED AWAY HE WAS AND STILL IS THE GREATEST MAN I HAVE EVER BEEN BLESSED TO KNOW MANY OF YOU LOVED MY FATHER BUT I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CALL HIM DAD HE WAS A STRONG FATHER WHO SHOWED ME THE WAYS OF BEING A MAN BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN ACTIONS EVEN WHEN I WAS WRONG NOT BLAMING OTHERS FOR ...THINGS IN MY LIFE I HAD CONTROL OF AND MOST OF ALL SHOWING THAT LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN LIFE HE WAS GIVING ALWAYS THERE TO MAKE YOU LAUGH EVEN TIL THE END PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOTHER WHO IS GOING TO HAVE A LONG HARD JOURNEY AHEAD OF HER MY FAMILY WHO WILL HAVE A ROUGH ROAD COPING .... POPS I LOVE YOU, MISS YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU AND I HOPE I NEVER HAVE OR EVER WILL DISAPPOINT YOU" 5/21/45 - 12/20/14
I'm saddened to hear of the passing of my old friend Jon Bagley. My heartfelt condolences go to Jon's wife Pam, and his son and daughter. Although I hadn't seen him but a few times since leaving Palm Beach county in 1964, I fondly remember those fun times we shared during our school years together. Jon was a very smart guy. He had a wonderfully dry sense of humor. He was generous and loyal and a person that always said what he thought. I remember when he, Janice Knight, and I had gym class together. The boys and girls were rarely placed in mixed company in phys ed class, with the exception of that 1 required semester when we were 'forced' to take square dancing, part of John F Kennedy's program of physical fitness; an effort to shape up the youth of the USA. In the beginning of that particular six week period we jointly complained about the ridiculousness of being obligated to engage in such nonsense!! Square dancing was SQUARE! How lucky Janice and I were to have our friend stuck in that class with us. What could have been a drag became fun as Jon clowned around first imitating JFK and then calling us 'my little chickadee' and 'my little turtle dove' in his surprisingly accurate 'English' accent. I remember how Janice and I teased him about his Banlon golf shirts that always reeked of cigarette smoke. Janice and I didn't like smoking, but we loved Jon. Jon always took our joking in stride. He was very cocky and confident. He knew his mind and didn't care what anyone else thought. When, during our senior year, Janice's boyfriend Ken Keller was away at USF, Jon drove us to the dances in his old station wagon; swearing and urging 'her', his vehicle, to 'not fail him now'. The car had a shifter on the steering wheel that he'd somehow 'fixed' with a bobby pin. Jon was the best dancer in Palm Beach County. A high achievement and an extremely envied one. Dancing was our best, most important entertainment all throughout our junior and senior school years. When Jon danced people stopped to stare. The crowd opened up to see him deftly swing and twirl his partner (whatever girl was lucky enough to be chosen) around the surface; moving like a rubber band Fred Astaire. Back then dancing had nothing to do with romance. It was a performance sport and serious business; a thing that Jon put his heart and body into. He was also an excellent golfer. I never saw him play, as I wasn't interested in the sport--but I know that Jon was part of a group of RBHS golf nuts. He retained his buddies, and his passion for the game, throughout most of his life. My last contact with Jon was during the 2012 election, when he told me that I didn't know what I was talking about. His messages were full of heat. I am a Democrat, Jon was staunch Republican. After several exchanges, we agreed that we would keep our noses out of each other's FB political posts. I heard no more from him. Even though we didn't share the same thoughts on who we wanted in the White House, his lectures on how wrong I was held a tinge of endearing concern. How could my thinking be so screwed up??? I hope that this small contribution of my memories of Jon is some comfort to his family. Every person born is unique, no one can ever take their place. Jon Bagley was someone special. He was loved.
Jon was part of the group I hung with at RBHS. Truthfully, I have not seen him or spoken to him for a long, long time. But when I read of his passing, it saddened me greatly. He was truly a character in every sense of the word; and I miss him being in this world.
The message Jon's son wrote was beautiful & moving. Sue's memories of Jon came from her heart & took me back 51 years. Everyone knew "Bagley" & knew there'd be some entertainment if they ended up in the same classroom. And Sue is right, he was definitely the Jitterbug king. It makes me happy to know he was loved so much by his family. Love ya, Jon..........Dubie
One among many memories I have of "Bagley", is the crowd on the dance floor at the old JC Club House, moving aside and watching his dance moves. The Club House was in one of the old Air Force buildings of what was previously Morrison Field. I had no such coordination, on or off of the dance floor.
Jon had a great personality and great sense of humor. My heartfelt condolences to his family in their loss.
Walter Perine (1963)
Jon was one of the good guys. Always up and enjoying life. We certainly had some memorable times together on the golf course and at the local dance halls.
Jon and I had two things in common. One was staying married to our lovely original wives, and the second NOT graduating with our Class of 63.
Over the last few years I'd occasionally visit Jon when I was up in the North end of town. I was ready to give him a call when I received the news of his passing. His son had posted a message on Facebook. I'll include it now as it really says it all. RIP Jon
"THIS HAS TO BE THE HARDEST POST IVE EVER HAD TO POST .... TO ALL MY FAMILY AND FRIENDS ON THE 20TH OF DEC 2014 MY FATHER WHO MANY OF YOU KNOW AS POPS HAS LOST HIS BATTLE WITH COPD AND HAS PASSED AWAY HE WAS AND STILL IS THE GREATEST MAN I HAVE EVER BEEN BLESSED TO KNOW MANY OF YOU LOVED MY FATHER BUT I WAS LUCKY ENOUGH TO CALL HIM DAD HE WAS A STRONG FATHER WHO SHOWED ME THE WAYS OF BEING A MAN BEING RESPONSIBLE FOR MY OWN ACTIONS EVEN WHEN I WAS WRONG NOT BLAMING OTHERS FOR ...THINGS IN MY LIFE I HAD CONTROL OF AND MOST OF ALL SHOWING THAT LOVE IS UNCONDITIONAL NO MATTER WHAT HAPPENS IN LIFE HE WAS GIVING ALWAYS THERE TO MAKE YOU LAUGH EVEN TIL THE END PLEASE PRAY FOR MY MOTHER WHO IS GOING TO HAVE A LONG HARD JOURNEY AHEAD OF HER MY FAMILY WHO WILL HAVE A ROUGH ROAD COPING .... POPS I LOVE YOU, MISS YOU WILL ALWAYS REMEMBER YOU AND I HOPE I NEVER HAVE OR EVER WILL DISAPPOINT YOU" 5/21/45 - 12/20/14
Susan Efinger (Liu) (1964)
I'm saddened to hear of the passing of my old friend Jon Bagley. My heartfelt condolences go to Jon's wife Pam, and his son and daughter. Although I hadn't seen him but a few times since leaving Palm Beach county in 1964, I fondly remember those fun times we shared during our school years together. Jon was a very smart guy. He had a wonderfully dry sense of humor. He was generous and loyal and a person that always said what he thought. I remember when he, Janice Knight, and I had gym class together. The boys and girls were rarely placed in mixed company in phys ed class, with the exception of that 1 required semester when we were 'forced' to take square dancing, part of John F Kennedy's program of physical fitness; an effort to shape up the youth of the USA. In the beginning of that particular six week period we jointly complained about the ridiculousness of being obligated to engage in such nonsense!! Square dancing was SQUARE! How lucky Janice and I were to have our friend stuck in that class with us. What could have been a drag became fun as Jon clowned around first imitating JFK and then calling us 'my little chickadee' and 'my little turtle dove' in his surprisingly accurate 'English' accent. I remember how Janice and I teased him about his Banlon golf shirts that always reeked of cigarette smoke. Janice and I didn't like smoking, but we loved Jon. Jon always took our joking in stride. He was very cocky and confident. He knew his mind and didn't care what anyone else thought. When, during our senior year, Janice's boyfriend Ken Keller was away at USF, Jon drove us to the dances in his old station wagon; swearing and urging 'her', his vehicle, to 'not fail him now'. The car had a shifter on the steering wheel that he'd somehow 'fixed' with a bobby pin. Jon was the best dancer in Palm Beach County. A high achievement and an extremely envied one. Dancing was our best, most important entertainment all throughout our junior and senior school years. When Jon danced people stopped to stare. The crowd opened up to see him deftly swing and twirl his partner (whatever girl was lucky enough to be chosen) around the surface; moving like a rubber band Fred Astaire. Back then dancing had nothing to do with romance. It was a performance sport and serious business; a thing that Jon put his heart and body into. He was also an excellent golfer. I never saw him play, as I wasn't interested in the sport--but I know that Jon was part of a group of RBHS golf nuts. He retained his buddies, and his passion for the game, throughout most of his life. My last contact with Jon was during the 2012 election, when he told me that I didn't know what I was talking about. His messages were full of heat. I am a Democrat, Jon was staunch Republican. After several exchanges, we agreed that we would keep our noses out of each other's FB political posts. I heard no more from him. Even though we didn't share the same thoughts on who we wanted in the White House, his lectures on how wrong I was held a tinge of endearing concern. How could my thinking be so screwed up??? I hope that this small contribution of my memories of Jon is some comfort to his family. Every person born is unique, no one can ever take their place. Jon Bagley was someone special. He was loved.
Steven Carta (1963)
Jon was part of the group I hung with at RBHS. Truthfully, I have not seen him or spoken to him for a long, long time. But when I read of his passing, it saddened me greatly. He was truly a character in every sense of the word; and I miss him being in this world.
Steve Carta
Sallie Fitz (Sahlbach) (1963)
Jon we will all miss you but we know we meet again RIP and say hi to our other passed classmates
Beverly Duberg (VanGilder) (1963)
Herb Lozott (1963)
One among many memories I have of "Bagley", is the crowd on the dance floor at the old JC Club House, moving aside and watching his dance moves. The Club House was in one of the old Air Force buildings of what was previously Morrison Field. I had no such coordination, on or off of the dance floor.
Jon had a great personality and great sense of humor. My heartfelt condolences to his family in their loss.