Jake M. Walters

Jake Walters -- Eagle Scout, adventurer, sports fanatic and kind soul – died Jan. 20, 2020 after suffering a heart attack. He was a bright light who tried to illuminate every situation he encountered, and who was anxious to experience as much as he could. Jake was an Eagle Scout, not simply in deed but in the ideals he lived by every day. He achieved his Eagle rank upon completion of a project that built park benches and resurfaced a basketball court in a city park in St. Augustine, Fla. But he was the kind of person who was thrilled to win his fantasy football pool not so that he could brag to his buddies – though he did – but so he could use his winnings to support a friend’s mother in her fight with Lou Gehrig’s Disease. Jake made friends everywhere he went and went everywhere with those friends, which is saying something because he visited all 48 of the continental United States and also loved to travel internationally. Born Jacob McCartney Walters on August 14, 1989 in St. Petersburg, Jake fell in love with scouting, sports and service to others at a young age. He served as head of the student council in middle school and was junior class president at Pedro Menendez High School in St. Augustine. He attended his dream college when he enrolled at the University of Florida -- graduating in 2012 with a degree in marketing and sports management – and briefly held his dream job while working as an intern for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. After three years out west, Jake returned to Florida to attend Florida State University Law School, from which he graduated in 2018. He is survived by his mother Lindsey Fleece Henderson and stepfather, Glenn Henderson, his father John McFaden Walters, his grandfather Joseph Fleece Jr., his grandmother Billie Henderson, aunt Mary Jane Fleece and her husband Jack Cartier, uncle Jay Fleece and his wife Cynthia, aunt Connie Henderson Lindsay and her husband David, plus a bevy of cousins who will forever hear his laughter when telling stories at family get-togethers. Jake was interred at St. Thomas Episcopal Church, 1200 Snell Isle Blvd NE in St Petersburg in Section 5, Niche C3. In lieu of flowers, Jake would want his loved ones to do the things he loved best. So hug your mother, do a fun project with your dad, play with your dog, catch up with an old friend, put on some good music, get out on the water and stay there just a little too long, smile and relax, chat with a stranger, be kind to someone who isn’t expecting it, and genuinely mean it when you ask someone “How’s it going?” and listen when they give you a real answer. And, of course, cheer like crazy for the Gators. If you insist on something more tangible, Jake would have wanted you to support Cindy Finkelstein in her battle with ALS, which you can do here: https://www.gofundme.com/f/x6y9mm9c-cindys-battle-with-als?fbclid=IwAR1icPpidQecg79ywHisN3nVE7YeZTVo8Y6dqDKi__94DshfijaHyr8ZFJA