James D. Askew (1944 – 2023)

Our classmate JD Askew of Tuscaloosa, AL passed away at home on September 28, 2023 after a long battle with pancreatic cancer. Click here for JD's obituary.

 

A memorial service for JD was held on Sunday November 19 at 3 PM at the First Presbyterian Church Tuscaloosa.

 

Dave Sonnenberg was in touch with JD and his wife Pam the day before and reports, "The end came quickly but peacefully for JD. I got a text from Pam this morning saying that 'JD slipped away peacefully last evening'. She wanted me to let you know how much the phone calls and zoom calls meant to JD throughout the year. They really brightened his days. I sent a note back to Pam and will try to talk with her to get more information on funeral arrangements and any ways that we can help. As soon as I get more information, I will pass it along."

 

Dave had also arranged Zoom sessions with JD, mostly with football buddies and others who had been in touch. During an August 4 session, he had been very upbeat and cracking jokes. He looking forward to attending the late October Hilton Head Holiday reunion; he will be greatly missed at HH.

 

At Princeton, he roomed with Ron Landeck, David Sonnenberg, and Joe Longo. JD left Princeton sophomore year but continued on elsewhere, received his MD from the U. of Tennessee Medical School in Memphis, and pursued a career in nephrology, practicing in Tuscaloosa. His 45th reunion essay is copied below.

 

"I withdrew from Princeton around November, sophomore year, working in civil engineering until summer, 1964. Readmission for fall '64 was obtained, but financial issues precluded matriculation. Various institutions, Florida junior college, Mercer in Macon, Ga., and University of Florida, yielded an undergraduate degree in Math with a multitude of minors, including pre-med. My next stop was Memphis for an M.D., June, 1972. Pam and I were married in March, 1971. We moved to Augusta for my internship and then on to Tampa for the residency and fellowship in kidney disease. Marisa was born in 1977 just before moving to Tuscaloosa, Alabama. I opened the first dialysis clinic in Tuscaloosa that year, and Pam began law school at U.of A. which she completed in 1980. My nephrology practice was too busy as recruiting another nephrologist didn't happen until 1990. In 1985, Ray Perkins, the football coach at UA, recruited me to be the team physician for UA athletics.
 
"So, if there was a void in my life, athletics filled it. But athletics gave me the opportunity to share my knowledge and experience with motivated young people. My injury experience at Princeton wasn't what it could have been, but I was able to learn from that experience and pass the benefits on to the athletes here. My experiences and desire to win raised my vigilance in both my practice and in sports medicine. We lost a football player on the practice field that first year. That was humbling. Our second daughter, Amanda, was born in 1986. She has been a joy to watch grow. Currently, she is a sophomore at W&L and very much a little "queen bee". She and I are close. In 1996, I walked off the tennis court in Destin, Fla. and developed atrial fibrillation. Usual circumstances: overweight, out of shape, the night before, 100 degrees ambient, attacked by a yearling osprey on the court, run around by a jr. asst. pro who didn't know he was supposed to hit the ball back to the client. That 40 minutes of being the patient with no control changed my life and the way I look at life. I quit my practice, sports medicine, etc. for a rest, but tried to resume the practice until finally stopping in 1998. The abrupt cessation of multiple activities is not recommended. The transition was anything but easy. It did allow me to participate in my younger daughter's growing-up, but that also yielded me a new meaning for "intrusive", and who decides what is intrusive.
 

"For the first few years after withdrawing from P.U. I was busy, but also embarrassed about leaving. It took years before it occurred the PAW would come no matter whether I had a degree. Pretty soon, it seemed I should send some money for the dues. The year and a half at Princeton left so many indelibles in my mind. It is a wonderful feeling to be included and keep up with classmates. There still seems to be a little room at the end of the runway career-wise. Its just hard to pull back on the yoke at our age. There isn't much time for new compass [GPS] settings."

 

JD's listed his activities and service in the same reunion book:

 

Community Service: Team Doctor, University of Alabama Crimson Tide Football, 1984-1997 Network 18, Medicare Dialysis Regional Oversight Board, 1982-1984 Carrier Advisory Committee, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama 1984-1997 Liaison Committee of Alabama Nephrologists, Blue Cross/Blue Shield of Alabama 1982-1996.

Honors and Awards: Honorary "A" Club Member, University of Alabama Lettermen

Activities/Hobbies: Golf, Tennis, Fishing, Exercising, Complaining

 

Service

JD's service on November 18 was attended by classmates John Lumpkin, Stas Maliszewski, and Kit Mill, shown below at JD's home after the service. For more, visit the Classmate Sightings Page and look for the November 18 entry.

 

L-R: John Lumpkin, Stas Maliszewski, Pam Askew, daughters Marissa and Amanda, and Kit Mill


Tributes

Ron Landeck:

I am saddened to hear of JD’s passing and my prayers go out to Pam and his family. JD was one-of-a-kind and we are were blessed to have known him as our friend. His heart was huge as evidenced in our relationships by unceasing loyalty to his Princeton friends with whom he spent just shy of three semesters. His impact on us lasted a lifetime. We stayed in touch all these years. I will miss him, his energy, his stories and his immense love of life and its people.

 

Stas Maliszewski:

Even though he was with the football team only a short time, he left a large footprint. He was wiry, rugged, tough and came to win. He wasn’t the fastest or the biggest but he knew how to get the job done. Over the years, and now it’s been many years, some of our teammates get to talking about the good old days. Even though we had considerable success on the field, often the conversation focused on what it would have been like, if some of our classmates had not left. Invariably, JD is one of the two names mentioned.

 

It was very special that JD continued to be part of our lives. It was a testament to how much he meant to us.

 

Dave Sonnenberg:

Even though he was only at Princeton for 14 months, JD made strong friendships and identified with Princetom 66. He returned for many major reunions and was planning to attend the Hilton Head off-site reunion. He was so looking forward to seeing his friends and football teammates. The friendships that he made at Princeton lasted a lifetime.
 
Growing up in Naples FL, JD had connections with Princetonians who lived or vacationed near there. His roommates also benefited from these connections. Instead of having our dates stay in a boarding house for the Freshman Prom, they stayed at the guest house, with swimming pool, of one of these alumni.
Speaking of making a great impression on a date!!
 
He was also generous with his time. After exams at the end of Freshman year, he had to drive the car of one of the alumni from Princeton to Florida. Since I didn’t have a ride home to Pittsburgh, he gladly added an extra 400 miles to his trip to drive me home.
 
He was a good friend. He will be missed.

 

Robert Clendenin

JD was a gentleman and a scholar. He was a great running back and teammate. I will miss the thoughtful and deep conversations with JD. Condolences to his family on their loss. God Speed, JD.

 

Frank Langhammer

I lived in next entry of Patton Hall freshman year and knew JD on that basis. He was the first person this New Jersey kid had ever known from the Deep South, and I learned a lot from him. Among other things I learned that there were other states that had beaches. JD could be poetic in his description of the beach life in Florida. He added much to the Class and I was very happy to read of his continued involvement with Princeton. Congratulations on a life well lived.

 

Amanda Askew (Daughter)

Click here for Amanda's memories and tribute to her father.

 

 

Condolences, memories, tributes, and pictures may also be shared on this memorial page by emailing to 66_MemorialTeam@tiger1966.org.