John "JACK" Lamb's Obituary
Lamb, John R. “Jack”
A loving husband, father, grandfather, and great grandfather passed away May 18, 2020. Jack was a dedicated public servant, contributing 57 years of his expertise and leadership to the education of all children especially those with special needs and for the betterment of our community.
Jack is survived by his loving wife Nora (of 62 years); his children Debbie Arias (Carlos), Paul Lamb (Priscilla), and Tommy Lamb; grandchildren, Ashley Ledo (RJ), Kalyn Arias, Hector Lamb (Lauren), and Lindsey Lamb; great-grandchildren, Gianna Ledo, Elijah and Alden Lamb.
The family would like to thank Diana Vazquez, Jack’s caregiver, for her unconditional care that she gave Jack. Also, they wish to acknowledge the Hospice Staff for all their help especially Sandy Dettori (home health aide) and Sara LaRose (nurse).
Due to COVID-19, a private funeral will be held in Jack’s honor. A celebration of life in Jack’s memory will be announced at later date.
As an expression of sympathy, in honor of Jack’s dedicated service to children in our school system, contributions can be made to Lamb Elementary School at 6274 South 78th Street, Tampa, FL 33619.
Jack Lamb was elected to the Hillsborough County School Board (District 3) in 2000, serving as chair in 2006. He is one of seven members responsible for making policy decisions and overseeing a budget of $2.3 billion for the 9th largest school district in the nation and the county’s largest employer with 30,000 employees. His support of the Arts stems from his love of music and an understanding that it is important to educate the “whole child”. During his re-election in 2008, Dr. Lamb ran unopposed. He donated all of his campaign funds to the music programs of Hillsborough County.
Dr. Lamb has served as executive director of the Hillsborough County Association of School Administrators, an adjunct professor at both the University of Florida and Nova Southeastern University, an intern supervisor at Nova Southeastern University and as a teacher and administrator for Pinellas and Hillsborough County public schools. He taught in the areas of elementary, adult, and exceptional student education. He has also served as a consultant to school districts, universities, and organizations in 10 states and Ontario, Canada.
He earned his B.S. in elementary education from the University of Tampa, his M.Ed from the University of Florida, and his Ed.D. from Syracuse University. He taught music in the early 1950’s at Orange Grove and Mendenhall Elementary Schools.
Dr. Jack Lamb’s music interests begin at Zephyrhills K-12 (population 300). He played tuba in the band and later received a music scholarship to the University of Tampa. During this time, he performed with the University ensembles, played in a German band with James Crosby (fellow inductee), was a member of the Tampa Philharmonic, and President of Kappa Kappa Psi (Honorary Band Fraternity). He also played with a dance band (drums) on the weekends to help supplement his income.
Jack Lamb served as the 2005-2006 president of the Florida School Boards Association. He also served as a member and officer of the Florida Association of School Administrators; Florida Association of Instructional Supervisors and Administrators; Council for Exceptional Children-local, state, and national; Council for Administrators of Special Education-state and national; and Phi Delta Kappa. He is co-founder, and has served as secretary/treasurer of the Florida Coalition for the Education of Exceptional Students.
Dr. Lamb also has extensive community involvement, including the MacDonald Training Center; Lighthouse for the Blind; Ybor Chamber of Commerce; Greater Tampa Bay Special Education Consortium; and the Ybor City Rotary. His wife, Nora, is a retired Hillsborough County schoolteacher, and his daughter is an administrator in the district. He and Nora have three children.
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