Richard Brinkley Jackson

Richard Brinkley Jackson, age 94 ,of Midlothian, a retired Senior Vice President of Reynolds International and former adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University, passed away June 13, 2024. He was born July 3, 1929 in Wilmington, N.C., the oldest son of the Lloyd F. and Leila E. Jackson. He is survived by his son Richard Alan Jackson and daughter-in-law Nicole A. Jackson, granddaughter Kelsey Anne Jackson, all of Midlothian, VA and grandson Mason Brinkley Jackson of Greenville, SC, and great grandsons Kaiden Corey Hummel and Fynnly Beckett Moore of Midlothian. He is also survived by his nephews Frank Jackson (Amy) and family of Williamston, MA, Tommy Jackson (Jackie) and family of Lewisville, N.C., and Niece Susan Jackson Cooke (Dick) and family of Davidson, N. C. He was preceded in death by his wife of 62 years, Betty H. Jackson, and his brother, The Reverend Dr. Lloyd Franklin Jackson, Jr. He was a five year veteran of the U.S. Air Force, serving in Japan and Korea during the Korean War. While in Japan he was a student at the International Division of Sophia University in Tokyo, and in 1956 graduated from the University of North Carolina, in Chapel Hill with a B.S. Degree in Industrial Relations, and began working in Labor Relations with Dan River, Inc., in Danville, Virginia. While at UNC he played on the tennis team and was a member of Pi Kappa Phi Fraternity. In 1963 he joined Reynolds Metals Company and in the ensuing years worked in various personnel and labor relations positions at the plant and division level throughout the United States. In 1977 he was elected Vice President, Personnel and Labor Relations for Reynolds International, and was subsequently elected Senior Vice President, Administration. As the chief human resource officer for Reynolds International he was responsible for the management and direction of all personnel and labor relations activities at Reynolds plants and controlled subsidiaries throughout the world. He was frequently called upon to give presentations on international human resource management at colleges and universities in the United States, and was a leader in the development and implementation of cross-cultural training programs for expatriate personnel undertaking overseas assignments. Following his retirement from Reynolds he became an adjunct professor at Virginia Commonwealth University and for ten years taught courses in International Human Resource Management in the School of Business. He was a member of Midlothian American Legion Post 186 and the Veterans of Foreign Wars Post 15048. In addition, he was a member of the Board of Directors of Commonwealth Catholic Charities. He was an avid tennis player, a voracious reader whose knowledge of political, military and world history was encyclopedic, and he had a boundless intellectual curiosity about the affairs of mankind. A funeral service will be held Wednesday June 19th at 11 am at Woody Funeral Home Huguenot Chapel, 1020 Huguenot Rd in Midlothian. The family will receive friends an hour prior.