For Charlie Jack--a memorium

Discussion Open Forum
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I’ve been meaning to write about @Charlie_Jack for quite a while. We’ve talked about this here and there on the site; a lot of people know this to some degree already. I would have posted this a lot sooner but I guess I was holding out some kind of hope for his well-being. As everyone who spent time here knows, he was one of the best, kindest, and most helpful long-term posters on the site. We chatted by PM at times, and toward the end of last year he told me he had cancer. We chatted often after that. He didn’t have family here or connections back home after so long here. I don’t think he spoke Chinese well and he wasn’t clued into the health system. By the time he told me it was too late already. He was sick, confused, and unsure of what to do. He went to various appointments but it was always a struggle for him. He thought about heading home to Louisiana and getting care from the VA but that was already basically impossible. He was always worried about not being able to wash up and his house being a mess. He worked at one school for a long time, he was done working but the people there made sure he had enough to eat, helped him clean up, and took him to doctor’s visits. I don’t know what school it was but those are good people. Eventually he went in for a procedure, and I never heard from him again. That’s been almost a year now.

I never met Charlie, but we talked on here a lot. We agreed about a lot of things, not everything. What I am sure of is that no one in my life ever apologized to me as much as Charlie did. Although he invariably did research to back up his points, far more than me or most people on here, he was always very concerned about being wrong or offending someone. Anyone who talked to him on here surely knows what I mean. He was a Navy veteran and a great guy, and I really miss him. Sorry I never met you Charlie

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A great guy indeed from his postings and my interactions with him. :+1:

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One of my favorite posters for sure. A thoughtful Southern gentleman full of interesting stories and perspectives, and unfailingly good-natured. His presence is greatly missed. I hope he didn’t suffer too much in his final days. :folded_hands:

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That’s tough to hear. Wish I’d have known, I’d like to think I could have helped him get back to Louisiana. That’s assuming he still had caring family back there, I’d also like to think he did. He was a good guy.

RIP Charlie.

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I believe I nominated him once to be the flob’s official fact checker.

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This is exactly the vibes I got from his posts. He seemed like such a nice, unassuming kind of guy. It’s quite sad to hear this news.

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If any other Forumosans ever find themselves in such difficult straits I hope they reach out to the rest of us so we can help them.

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Yes it’s a pity he disappeared. Some people may have been around to help a bit.

I always liked his yarns about his dad stretching back to the great depression or whatever. He seemed to have a great fondness for his father at least he mentioned him often .

I know he was in the military trained as a lawyer and seemed to have struggled to make a living from it. Probably too nice. Would have liked to have heard more about his experiences with that. And then he became an English teacher for decades until the end of his life. Yes I believe his employers must have been nice people.

Having cancer and dealing with treatment on my own here would terrify me, because jianbao doesn’t cover much and you have to arrange your own nursing care I believe

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I miss Charlie he always came across as an upstanding guy, real gentleman.

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A real Southern gent .I was a bit disappointed and surprised he got pulled into the Trump stuff at the end (although he did say he’s not a Trump supporter and not MAGA but ..) , given that Trump is such a dishonest individual, the complete opposite of what I perceived Charlie to be , but hey everybody is entitled to their opinions.

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I remember my interactions with @Charlie_Jack very fondly, except for that one time when we couldn’t agree with the usage of mainland when we kind of let it get out of hand. @Charlie_Jack cared a lot about this island nation, and the people living here. He never ceased to be fascinated by local culture and history and carved out a corner on this forum for those who shared his interests. I was wondering where he went, and am so sad to learn of his passing.

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If you know his real name, would there be a way to find out what happened at say AIT, at least?
One American I knew passed away and they contacted me to explain what happened as I was in his phone book.

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It is scary. You are just a number and there is little rapport with whomever is your doctor. I had my wife to help smooth out the rough parts. Thinking of having to go through that the way Charlie did brings out the tears a bit.

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There were a couple of sad stories of senior aged foreigners earlier this year, and I later wondered if one might have been him.

Always the researcher, delving deep, he was a valued addition to the forum.

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Absolutely!!! What a great way to say it. Despite disagreements, some folks here have a lot of experience and knowledge. Despite disagreements online, we all want to help real people get real help. Don’t worry about petty internet conversations, reach out and get some help or information.

A fun idea, maybe a dumb one. But like the “block parents” sign in Canada, maybe have a sticky thread for those members here willing to help someone in need. At least on a casual private message basis.

It is so sad to hear someone couldn’t figure out because they were “alone” in whatever issue was happening. Cancer being a real fucker in taiwan!

End of the day, reach out. No one cares if we like China or Taiwan if you are diagnosed with cancer. Everyone has some experience to help.

this is sad news, he was a keeper.

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These moments make arguments seem so trivial on here.

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His decency and humanity shone through his posts here. It’s very sad to hear that he is gone.

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RIP Charlie

He was extremely kind. We had some heated discussions in the politics forum a couple of times, but he had this great character in the discussions where I always had a great respect for him.

His ability to turn a heated political discussion into a personal discussion about family and family struggles amazed me.

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Was there ever a more humble yet thoughtful poster? Combining knowledge of the law with compassion for others is a powerful combition, and Charlie Jack did it wonderfully.

In these polarizing times, we need more Charlie Jacks in this world. RIP.

Guy

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Charles Balfour Jack
1953(?) to 2025
Baton Rouge High School, class of 1971

I just read that Charlie Jack died, in Taiwan, about 4 weeks ago. Cancer. I don’t know who you know that might want to know.

I am crushed.

I had been trying to get in touch for a while. We were communicating often via Facebook Messenger, but he got hacked and never restored his FB account. I kept trying to send him messages via Taiwanese chat groups, but never had success.

Charlie was an ESL teacher in Taiwan. He didn’t speak much Chinese, as I understand. Navigating their system was overwhelming. He was wanting to come back to the US, to the VA, but somehow, it didn’t work. Charlie served as a US Marine and, after a bit of the free world, re-upped into the Navy.

He was a very smart person. Had a facility for language. We were German students together, in high school. In the Navy he learned Arabic to monitor radio chatter. When he got out he went to law school. I think he practiced a bit, but Charlie, like so many of us, was damaged. How he drifted to Taiwan, I never learned. He was apt at sluffing stuff off, if it was about him.

Reading the comments on the site where I learned this, they were all what a humble, kind, caring person he was. I knew this, but what they may not have known is how damnably funny he was. Brilliantly funny! We used to laugh for hours. He was a joy. When he left for the Navy, all those years ago, I played “O Danny Boy” by Joan Baez. And cried.

Charlie apparently died alone.

He never thought he was worth anything. And he meant the world to me.

I have loved many people in my lifetime, but I would trade a dozen, of some, for one Charlie Jack!

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