Tomari Alijah Jackson's Obituary
Tomari Alijah Jackson- ‘A Scholar & A Gentleman’
02-15-2001 to 02-13-2016
Born in Austell GA on 2-15-2001- Tomari Alijah was given his name a day after he entered
the world. Purposely not wanting to know the ‘sex’ of her baby; his Mom wanted to see his
face & hold him before settling on just ‘any’ name. He was a happy baby; that was always
smiling & ready to play.
Tomari lived in Smyrna & Atlanta for about a year before moving to the Bahamas with his
Mom. A few years later they returned to GA where he attended Ducktails Daycare in
Marietta & Russell Elementary in Smyrna.
Tomari also attended Powder Springs Elementary; and Cooper Middle School. In 2015; he
was accepted into the magnet program at N Cobb High School for International studies.
His curriculum was challenging, and included some college credit courses. From the age of
10; Tomari was determined to pursue a career in engineering, and had hoped to do an
internship this summer with an area firm.
An avid reader since the age of 3; he loved books, and would sometimes request a Barnes &
Noble gift card for his birthday. He excelled academically in all levels of his education.
Teachers often spoke highly of him, & his ability to have an outstanding future.
A lover of music (specifically Jazz)- he would always point out various notes & instruments
when he heard a ‘catchy’ song. Often he would wake up to Jazz 91.9FM & fell asleep
listening to same. Most recently; he started listening to 90.1 FM WABE on the drive home
from school. He was very interested in listening to ‘Fresh Air,and On 2nd Thought’; where
he gained insight on various books; as well as bands they interviewed. He would ‘google’
them to hear more of what their music sounded like. One most recently being ‘Alabama
Shakes’. He often listened, critiqued; then gave his rating.
Of late; ‘Tomari also had an interest in politics, and listened to ‘Political Rewind’ on GPB
radio. Before leaving for Belize he asked his Mom to order the book ‘Dark Money’ which he
wanted to read upon his return.
Such a creature of habit; Tomari almost always religiously ate the same things everyday.
His favorite breakfast for 5 yrs was pancakes & turkey bacon; which he changed to
pilsbury biscuits & turkey bacon about a year ago. He would even ask for it upon arriving
home from school or before bed at night.
He absolutely adored his dog Victor; & often shared his food with him. Victor religiously
drove with him in the car every day to and from school.
Tomari also believed that everything should be in its’ place. His toiletries had to be aligned
a certain way on his dresser, clothes neatly folded, pencils, folders & books organized in
his book bag was also ‘a must’.
Tomari was truly coming ‘into his own’- still playful, yet mature where it mattered. As I
drove him to school Monday morning Feb 8th; he said’ “mom--happy birthday”. It made me
smile, because in years gone by he would sometimes forget, and would remember after the
fact. He was well on his way to become the man I know he was destined to be. Considerate,
kind, loving, responsible, honest, & trust-worthy. He respected authority, and was a very
hard worker that always strived to do his best. Sometimes he would catch me looking at
him, & would ask me ‘what’s wrong’--- my response was always—nothing’s wrong Tomari;
your’re just awesome; & I’m proud of you.
Very much a manager & protector of his time- he always made sure that his personal time
was not jeopardized; for he wanted to partake in playing games on his computer as part of
his daily routine.
Whenever I would step in to monitor him & remind him that balance was important; ‘his
reluctant reply was always; Mom I know! He once said to me; ‘Mom do you realize that I
spend about 55 hrs a week in school & doing homework? So why can’t I spend a few hours
playing my games? He knew that this would make me ease up a bit, & it did
Tomari was very excited about his future, & planned on attending GA Tech or KSU.
Although he was interested in other colleges; he did not want to venture very far from
home.
Hobbies & Interests- scouting, music, dancing, traveling, gaming, reading, flute, piano,
harmonica, animals, nature.
His Mom always referred to him as ‘Champion Warrior’ that’s destined for greatness!
In Lieu of flowers donation may be made in honor of Tomari Jackson to Bank of America, account # 334 045 408 846, routing # 061 0000 52.
What’s your fondest memory of Tomari?
What’s a lesson you learned from Tomari?
Share a story where Tomari's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with Tomari you’ll never forget.
How did Tomari make you smile?
