By Beth Lederer

A large crowd gathered at Simple Pleasures Cafe in the Outer Richmond on Nov. 14, for a celebration of life ceremony to pay tribute to Virgil Jackson, a central figure at the coffee shop who recently passed away.

Customers and employees who interacted with Jackson praised him as an immensely talented, smart, curious, well respected and personable man.

A science teacher at George Washington High School since 2002, he had both an affinity for learning and teaching.

The ceremony was held on open mic night because Jackson was instrumental in restarting it after the COVID-19 pandemic. Jackson was both the M.C. and organizer. He created the space for artists to perform.

Three hours of tributes poured in. There was a complete line-up of musicians, songwriters, employees and customers sharing memories, poetry and a slide show that was put to the music of both a Leonard Cohen song, “Hey, That’s No Way to Say Goodbye,” and one of Jackson’s original songs, “Ashes From My Heart.”

The audience was able to connect with Jackson on a deeper emotional level when handouts were distributed. They sang two of his original songs: “Cowboy Lullaby” and “Ashes From My Heart.”

Natasha Jong led the whole group in “Cowboy Lullaby,” an introspective song with poignant lyrics: “Settle down little cowboy, Settle down by yourself, ’cause the sun is going down, You’re the only one around, And I know you’re gonna make it by yourself.”

Jong also played homage to Jackson by singing “Joan of Arc” by Leonard Cohen.

Jong’s voice is ethereal. She is a talented singer who got her start at Thursday’s Open Mic Night. She thanked Jackson for mentoring, supporting and encouraging her in her singing career. They were planning on doing a duet together of “Joan of Arc,” but they never got around to it.

Later in the evening, everybody sang “Ashes From My Heart,” Jackson’s original song. It was a catchy tune with a clarity of message that fit the moment.

Ahmed Riad and Diana Riggio, the owners of the cafe, hosted the event and welcomed everyone into the space.

Riad recognized John Faherty for setting up the flower arrangement, Rick Judge for putting the slideshow together and Eric Lindsey for promoting and putting the word out.

Riad also shared a touching story about a bottle of wine Jackson bought for the $10 Secret Santa gift exchange many years ago that was never opened.

“Just don’t wait to do things until tomorrow because tomorrow may never come,” he said.

Riad also mentioned a conversation he had once with Jackson where Simple Pleasures was quoted in a news article as “everyone’s living room.”

“No, it’s not a living room, it’s a sanctuary,” Jackson replied.

As the tributes were shared, a picture developed that open mic night was the creative space where Jackson thrived. He also enjoyed performing. He was considered an excellent songwriter. He sang and played guitar, and his favorite artist was Leonard Cohen. Other favorite musicians were Emmy Lou Harris, Bob Dylan and the Rolling Stones.

The tributes also showed how Jackson personally touched so many lives. He saw the raw talent in others where they may have been too shy to see it in themselves. He encouraged, supported and pushed others to have the courage to step up to the mic.

Sarah Healy started working at Simple Pleasures more than two years ago and met Jackson during open mic night. She was also encouraged by Jackson to perform. Healy painted and dedicated a portrait of Jackson which will be displayed at Simple Pleasures Cafe.

John Faherty, an employee at Simple Pleasures, delighted the audience with a few stories. One was the first time he made a cappuccino for Jackson. Faherty found out how specific Jackson was about the foam on his cappuccino.

“Double cappuccino, so foamy, if you threw it, would float across the room,” Jackson told him.

Adam Henderson describes himself as an inventor, artist and writer of poetry. Henderson said he connected with Jackson on a very deep level. A platform emerged for his poetry. A space was created to experiment and to collaborate with musicians.

Jackson inspired Henderson to take the next step. The poem that he recited was more than 10 minutes long. It was a good-bye to Jackson. The audience was mesmerized as they listened intently.

For Jackson, Simple Pleasures was like family – it was his sanctuary. So, it was just fitting for Simple Pleasures to throw him on open mic night, a celebration of life ceremony.

“Just remember, a family is the one that you make and not only the one that you’re born into,” Riad said.