Mary Lou Jackson

Our beautiful and beloved Mary Lou Jackson (Bundy) went to be with her Lord on July 2, 2024, surrounded at home by her loved ones. She was born on April 24, 1953, in Mt. Vernon, Illinois, to Angela and Bill Bundy who preceded her in death.

After graduating from Springfield High School in 1971, she received her Bachelors in Education from ISU and later went on to receive her Masters in Education as well. Mary Lou taught Special Education in various Sangamon area schools, ending her career as a PORTA Blue Jay at Petersburg Elementary. She was influential to so many of her students over the years, retiring in 2012 after a fulfilling 37 year career.

In 1983, Mary Lou married John Jay Jackson of Springfield. Inspired by the hospitality they experienced during their time in Europe and a shared love for history and architecture, they undertook the loving but laborious restoration of a century old home in Petersburg that they owned and operated as a Bed and Breakfast for 15 years. Hosting people in her home was one of Mary Lou’s true joys and a perfect fit for a woman who never knew a stranger. After Jay died in 2015, she moved back to Springfield in 2016, where she began a new and adventurous chapter in her life.

In the midst of battling cancer and recovering from treatments, she loved to stay active. Mary Lou joined the Springfield Ski and Travel club, where she made many new friends, and was able to travel to Greece. Once an avid runner, she settled into the pickle ball scene which she loved dearly, and made many new lasting friendships. She enjoyed the company of friends and spending time with family, camping, dancing to local live music, sitting in the sun, playing cards, supporting the Fighting Illini, hosting parties in her home, or cultivating her beautiful flower garden.

Mary Lou was often described as a social butterfly, a beacon of light, and the dancing queen. She was a woman of great faith, which strengthened and sustained her throughout her life. Everyone that knew her would agree that she made a lasting impression, and that her zeal for life and fellowship never faltered during her 13 year fight with cancer.

Surviving are her daughter, Ashley Jones (husband, Brett); grandson, Joshua Jay; brother, Tom Bundy (wife, Chery Miller); nephew Yari; sister, Cathy McKenzie (husband, Dennis); nephew, Aaron (wife, Patty and children, Mila and Teo); niece, Heather (husband, Dan and children, Kaden, Jude and Bentley); sister, Candi Lamkey (husband, Ron); nephew, Matthew (wife Abigail and children, Leo and Veda); nephew, Jared; and niece, Caitlyn Rodeffer (husband, Rodney).

The family will host a Celebration of Life for Mary Lou on Saturday, August 24, 2024, at the Firefighters Lake Club, 940 W. Lake Shore Dr., Springfield, starting at 12:00pm with a meal to follow. Please RSVP here (https://forms.gle/WZnv1BbA86sLna3Q7) if you plan on attending.

In lieu of flowers, we have commissioned an artist to create a kinetic metal sculpture that embodies Mary Lou’s spirit. It will be placed in Washington Park, a place that was very dear to Mary Lou. Donations would be appreciated via Venmo: https://venmo.com/u/Ashley-Jackson-53 or checks can be made out to Ashley Jones and sent to: 2064 Cherry Rd., Springfield, IL 62704.

The family is being served by Butler Funeral Home – Springfield, 900 S. 6th St., Springfield.