September 28, 2023
Classmates and friends to gather for memorial Mass to remember Jobie Hereford ’23
By Vicki-Ann Downing
Classmates and friends will gather for a memorial Mass in St. Dominic Chapel on Saturday, September 30, during Homecoming Weekend, to remember Josephine “Jobie” Hereford ’23, who died on August 11, 2023, at her home in Denver, Colorado.
Jobie was a women’s and gender studies major who began her studies at Providence College in September 2019 as a member of the Class of 2023. The diagnosis of a brain tumor in June 2021 and an ensuing year of surgeries, radiation, medication, and rehabilitation caused her to miss her junior year, but she lobbied her family to re-enter PC in August 2022 with plans to graduate in May 2024. She persevered through the semester until worsening symptoms and the tumor’s recurrence forced her return home.
At Jobie’s memorial service on August 27 at her high school, Denver Academy in Colorado, her brother, Niko Hereford, described how hard it was to lose his sister just as she was blossoming into adulthood with enthusiasm for all that was ahead.
“Jobie had been thriving at Providence College, a place that felt like home since she first visited the school,” Niko said. “She loved the community, the school spirit, and all of the small things associated with being an independent college student. I recall her absolutely loving the slogan, ‘Friars hold doors.’”
School work did not come easily to Jobie, who worked hard for everything she accomplished, according to her father, John Hereford. John and his wife, Andrea Dukakis, allowed Jobie to attend college across the country despite their concerns about whether she could handle it.
“It was the best decision of her life,” John said. “Never have more anxious parents separated from their child than us from Jobie that fateful drop off at Providence College. But she made it work. She grinded harder. She leaned into PC’s unique culture of actually caring about their students. And she showed us this is where she belonged. She was so proud of PC and she loved the life of a college student. Always an advocate of the underdog, she was also developing into a pesky little social justice warrior” — a point she used to tease her father, a conservative.
Abigail T. Brooks, Ph.D., associate professor of women’s and gender studies and department chair, noted that Jobie was a member of the executive board of Women Will, a campus organization focused on raising awareness of issues affecting women. While many of Jobie’s courses were held virtually during the pandemic, Brooks met her in person at a community-building event in October 2022.
“Jobie’s deep interest in and commitment to women’s rights and gender justice energized and inspired those around her, both inside and outside the classroom,” Brooks said. “Jobie’s smile and laugh, her wisdom, her unwavering dedication to making this world a better place, will forever guide and inspire me and so many others.”
College Chaplain Rev. Justin Bolger, O.P. and eight of Jobie’s friends from PC, all recent graduates, attended the memorial service in Denver. Father Bolger offered a prayer and spoke about hope in the face of darkness, suffering, and tragedy. A member of the The Hillbilly Thomists folk group, he said he often turns to tunes to preach, especially American folk music and Gospel music, which reflect life as a pilgrimage. He sang a favorite hymn, Just a Closer Walk with Thee.
Niko Hereford said his sister craved intense connection with people, had a gift of making others feel special, was intensely loyal, and was tough beyond belief — qualities also mentioned by her friends from PC during the service.
“Jobes — the girl who loved so deeply, hugged warmly, smiled big, laughed loud, lived every day to the fullest, welcomed everyone into her circle, pushed for change, worked incredibly hard even when things didn’t come easy, leaned into moments, looked for the good, and was unapologetically herself,” said Rosie Morford ’23, who is from San Francisco, California.
Rosie said Jobie was the “official reservation planner” for Raymond Dining Hall, the campus cafeteria, welcoming everyone to her table. Her infectious laughter and big smile made everyone feel at home, even during their most difficult first days as new students. She was a master waffle maker, creating faces with whipped cream and sprinkles.
During sophomore year, which began in September 2020, socialization was restricted due to the COVID-19 pandemic. “Pack 209” became the goal of Jobie’s friends in Aquinas Hall. Late nights in her room included TikTok dance videos and macaroni and cheese cups. One weekend “Jobie’s Crew” escaped to a beach house in Westerly where there were “some of the most genuine smiles we’d had in a long time,” Rosie said.
Grace Stewart ’23, from Simsbury, Connecticut, was scheduled to live with Jobie in Davis Hall during junior year. In June, Grace and a group from PC visited Jobie for a final time in Colorado. Later, reflecting on everything that she did not have had a chance to say, Grace wrote a song. She sang it at the memorial service.
“I’m sorry this took so long to send,
I’ll never have the strength you had at 21,
too young to lose a friend.
But even now I know if you were here,
You’d smile and say,‘Don’t worry honey, I was born to love and so I did.
So I live.’”
In addition to her parents and brother, Jobie is survived by her maternal grandparents, Kitty and Mike Dukakis, the former Massachusetts governor and 1988 presidential candidate. In October 2020, when Jobie was a sophomore, Mike Dukakis participated in Friar Forum: Election 2020, a virtual discussion with former New Jersey governor Chris Christie, whose son was a member of the Class of 2023.
