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Hundreds mourn city worker killed by fumes

Submitted photo Jabin Lakes

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City trucks from as far away as Forest Park, Anderson Twp., Vandalia, Columbia Twp. and Amberley Village gather Thursday, May 13, in front of Grace Baptist Church in Middletown in support of Jabin Lakes, the city worker who died inspecting a manhole on Yankee Road in Middletown.

Staff photo by Gary Stelzer City trucks from as far away as Forest Park, Anderson Twp., Vandalia, Columbia Twp. and Amberley Village gather Thursday, May 13, in front of Grace Baptist Church in Middletown in support of Jabin Lakes, the city worker who died inspecting a manhole on Yankee Road in Middletown.

Jabin Lakes’ funeral a reflection of his life. Middletown man remembered as loving family man, dedicated soccer coach.

By Rick McCrabb, Staff Writer Updated 7:52 AM Friday, May 14, 2010

MIDDLETOWN — Jabin Lakes’ funeral was a reflection of his life.

His funeral at Grace Baptist Church was filled with family and friends, co-workers from the Middletown Public Works department, representatives from the city, and young girls he coached in the Middletown Youth Soccer Association.

People wore suits and ties, black dresses, work clothes with dirty boots and soccer uniforms tied at the waist.

Lakes, described as a “blue jeans and T-shirt guy,” would have fit right in at his funeral.

Lakes, 31, who married his high school sweetheart, Katrina, and the father of two daughters, Tomasina, 13, and Darryll-Anne, 4, was killed Friday, May 7 during a work-related accident when he was overcome by a mysterious gas while checking a manhole cover on Yankee Road.

Lakes fell into the sewer and three Middletown firefighters were injured. Two of the firefighters have been released from Atrium Medical Center.

Lakes was remembered as a loving father, husband, and dedicated soccer coach. The lobby of the church was decorated with family photos. There were several soccer team photos of Lakes, always smilingly, towering over the girls he coached.

His blue work baseball hat hang over one of the posters.

Larry Mulligan Jr., Middletown mayor, one of the four people who made remarks during the funeral, said, as his voice cracked, that the “whole community lost a lot” when Lakes was killed, the first death of a city employee since 1939.

Dave Berry, president of the ASCME Local 1856, said while Lakes only worked for the city for one year, his dedication and sense of humor left a lasting impression.

Lakes, because of his electrical background, turned the department’s lighting system into a tanning bed, Berry said with a laugh.

“If you wanted a night light,” Berry said, “he gave you a street light.”

Then he added: “The city’s lights will not be as bright.”

The Rev. James Anderson, pastor of Christian Enterprise Baptist Church in Dayton, married Jabin and Katrina Lakes. He never expected to deliver Lakes’ eulogy.

“We must be prepared (for death),” he said. “He has gone to a better place...no more tragedy, no more accidents.”

Lakes was buried wearing a soccer sweatshirt and, after the funeral, during the lengthy recessional of more than 500 people, one young girl handed Lakes’ wife, Katrina, an autographed soccer ball.

Katrina thanked the girl and placed the ball in her husband’s casket.

Earlier, two of Lakes’ brothers, Brent Lakes of Alaska, and Joe Smith, of Centerville, both in the Army, slowly folded the American flag that was hanging over his casket and presented it to his widow.

They came from Vandalia and Colerain Twp. — and about every community between — to pay their final respects to Jabin Lee Lakes, the Middletown Public Works employee who was killed last week.

As more than 500 people — including family and friends, city employees and staff and little soccer players — attended Lakes’ funeral Thursday, May 13, at Grace Baptist Church, they sat patiently in their trucks and waited.

The funeral, which started at 11 a.m., lasted more than 90 minutes, and Lakes’ flag-draped casket wasn’t lifted into the hearse by two of his brothers and co-workers for another hour.

Not one of the more than 20 trucks left the parking lot.

Interestingly, the drivers didn’t know Jabin Lakes from the Great Lakes, but that didn’t matter. Like many of them, Lakes was employed in a public works department.

That made them brothers.

“This is the right thing to do,” said Bill Harphant, who works for Sugarcreek Twp. in Greene County. “He’s one of us.”

He called Lakes’ mysterious death “shocking.”

Ryan Lindsey, who has worked for the Hamilton Public Works Department for 11 years, was asked how many times in his career has he lifted a manhole cover like Lakes did last Friday on Yankee Road.

“This week,” Lindsey said, “50 times. We do it so much, we don’t even think about it. It’s just part of the job. Now I’m gonna think twice.”

Then he added: “This hits close to home.”

Many people said they’re struggling with the suddenness of Lakes’ death. On Friday morning, the Middletown man — in the prime of his life — was a husband and father of two girls who loved the simple things.

A few hours later, he was dead, killed by mysterious gases that also injured three Middletown firefighters.

His death, the first city employee killed on the job since 1939, left people shaking their heads.

“God needed this man,” the Rev. James Anderson, pastor of Christian Enterprise Baptist Church, said during the eulogy. “When God calls, we must answer.”

Anderson told the large crowd that everyone is “one heartbeat from eternity.”

Lakes, who earned his GED from Middletown High School, served in the U.S. Army — like his brothers Brent Lakes and Joe Smith — and worked for Brooks Electric, Neal’s Excavating and Rudd’s Excavating.

When he applied for a position with the city of Middletown, he wrote that he was “looking for a career, not just a job.”

Sgt. Steve Ream, of the Middletown Division of Police and one of Lakes’ closest friends, said landing a job in his hometown was “one of the proudest moments” in Lakes’ life.

Contact this reporter at (513) 705-2842 or rmccrabb@coxohio.com.

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