An Edinburgh teen’s family and friends have paid tribute to a devoted son and brother.
On Thursday, September 29, Jack Pollock, 14, passed away unexpectedly while travelling with his mother and brother Jude. His father Darryl has led tributes to a tremendously gifted boxer, student, and devoted family member.
The Clermiston-based Royal High School student was also remembered by his neighbourhood boxing club in Granton, which described him as “full of ideas and mischief” in addition to having a growing love for sports in general and boxing in particular.
A family friend has also started a fundraising campaign to help with funeral expenses and to ensure that Jack’s body is returned home safely from Portugal, where he had been vacationing with his mother and younger brother.
Jack’s father talked about how devastating it was to lose his son. “He was incredibly passionate about his boxing,” he said. Jack never slacked off—even on his days off, he was out running and always gave it his all. One thing I will say about Jack is that he was a protector. Since he was their rock, all of his pals turned to him for help.
“If ever you needed anything, he would be the first to dash out of his house and help you out. He also loved his music but his passion was being out with his pals. He was at that teenager stage when they were going out all the time and being cheeky. Sometimes he was a pain in the backside to get home on time if you know what I mean.”
One of the trainers of Granton Amateur Boxing Club, David Barclay, posted a heartbreaking tribute to Jack on Facebook, expressing how the tragedy of his passing has left him with a “lump in his throat.”
It said, “With a tear in my eye and a lump in my throat, I would like to express my sincere sympathies to Jack’s family on behalf of myself and everyone at the Granton Amateur Boxing Club.
“I can tell you that Jack’s Passing has devastated a full community. Just under a year ago you walked into my gym full of ideas and mischief a typical teenage boy who absolutely loved boxing as everyone who was involved with Jack would agree this kids had the heart of a lion in my personal opinion this kid would have went far in the boxing world.
“Jack: you were never a member, you were part of the little family. May God give you the best bed in heaven and everyone hold Jacks family in their thoughts and prayers. Rest easy wee champ.”
Darryl said that the terrible news has been difficult for Jack’s friend Hamish and his girlfriend Poppy, both of whom were very important to Jack personally. He added, “He was always cheery. “Videos of him playing around with his little brother ten minutes before to the catastrophe show him laughing.
“The most important thing about Jack is that he was the man to his younger brother. He and his brother shared an unmatched level of connection. He would dance around him while his sibling beat him with a balloon. He enjoyed exploring new places with my close pal and me. Even as a young boy, he had his sights set on a career in the Royal Marines, which is what he indicated.
“He was at the age where we were discussing his future as he was starting to find his feet in life. I was trying to keep him on the straight and narrow, looking towards buying a car and finding a job.”
