Remembering Jake: The Volunteer Who Fostered Belonging

April 30, 2025

Early in 2025, we lost Jake English, a dear, much-loved member of our community who dedicated years of his life as a volunteer in service of 2SLGBTQ+ communities and our community centre. In celebration of Jake’s life, we sat down with his loved ones, Peter and Jack, to remember and honour his legacy.

Peter Lomax moved from Victoria to Toronto to die. It was 1997. Living with HIV, Peter had already lost his partner and close friends to HIV and AIDS.  Medications that allow people living with HIV and AIDS to live normal lives weren’t easily accessible yet, and he wanted nothing more than to escape. With a trailer hitched to his car and a motorbike strapped to the back, he drove across the country, convinced he was heading east to die. That’s what life had led him to believe. 

But in truth, Peter’s move was prompted by someone new in his life. What he didn’t yet know was that this journey would offer him a second chance at love, life, and connection. 

Peter met Jake English a year earlier. Like Peter, Jake was living with HIV. The two quickly formed a deep bond, and Jake invited Peter to move in with him in Toronto. “Our relationship was built on care,” Peter says. “Jake welcomed me with open arms and took care of me.” 

In Victoria, Peter struggled to find support, but in Toronto, things started to look up. Jake introduced him to his doctor, his dentist, and a broader community of care. Peter was seriously ill, waiting, like so many others, for his turn. Teary-eyed, he remembers the words that changed everything: “We’re not going to lose you,” his new doctor told him. 

“Jake supported me through my lowest times,” Peter says. “He gave me community when I had none.” The two would go on to share more than 17 years together. 

Jake also introduced Peter to The 519. Here he reconnected with tai chi, a practice he enjoyed back home. “In Victoria, I constantly had to fight for services; most were only available in Vancouver,” Peter recalls. “But here in Toronto, I could access care, find belonging, and live with dignity.” 

Jack Pearce was a close friend to both Jake and Peter. The three of them often spent holidays together. “There was always a kindred love and friendship between us,” Jack says. Years later, after Jake and Peter parted ways romantically, Jake expressed romantic interest in Jack. 

“I remember the day he showed up on my doorstep,” Jack recalls, smiling. “This big, butch leather guy with tattoos and piercings, holding a half-wilted rose. He was very romantic.” Jake and Jack went on to spend over 10 years together. 

Jake lived in service to others. He was deeply involved with AIDS service organizations like Casey House and the Toronto People with AIDS Foundation. He picked up groceries for neighbours, delivered meals, and offered support to anyone who needed it. His love for community brought him to The 519, where he volunteered for many years. 

Jake began as a Centre Host, a warm first point of contact for everyone who walked through our doors. Over time, he supported programs like Meal Trans, and later, the Frozen Meals and Food Security Programs. 

Jake loved fiercely. He loved his pets. He loved connecting with people and learning their stories. “There was a neighbour down the hall, probably the most irritating person on the planet,” Jack laughs. “But Jake was the only one who talked to them. He’d often forget his keys or his wallet, but he never forgot someone’s name.” Peter says, “I only recently found out that Jake had been delivering frozen meals to a neighbour in a wheelchair for years. He never told anyone. He never did anything for credit. That was just who he was.” 

Outside of The 519, Jake was also well-known and celebrated in the local and international leather community, a passion he shared with Jack. He won Bootblack Toronto in 2011 and donated his winnings to charity. He also volunteered with the Heart of the Flag Federation and fundraised for The 519. 

“The 519 was without doubt Jake’s favourite place to be,” Peter says. “Sure, he got into the occasional conflict, but that’s part of being in community. He’d roll his eyes while telling us about something that happened on shift. But this place was his home. And you folks tolerated him too!” he adds with a wink. “Jack and I lived with every part of Jake: the lovable and the crunchy. And we’ve loved them all.” 

Many – especially those who picked up frozen meals – will remember Jake as a friendly face, always ready to help, even after closing time. The kitchen, the hallways, the community centre, they won’t be the same without him.  

Jake saw people for who they truly were, and in doing so, he enriched countless lives. His love for The 519 and our communities lives on: in stories shared, in memories held, and in the small, quiet ways people show up for one another. Just like Jake did.

Words by Dean Lobo