Jackson Haile Coker

Jackson Haile Coker of Austin, Texas passed away on March 10, 2021. In addition to a large extended family and countless friends, he is survived by his parents, Jon and Laura Coker and brothers, Jake and Jared. Jackson was born on April 24, 2002 and lived his entire life in Austin, most recently graduating from Westlake High School in 2020.

Jackson was a bright student and exemplary athlete who left a legacy of friendship, leadership and hard work which inspired all that knew him. On the field at Westlake, Jackson ran track and was a three-year varsity football letterman who earned multiple accolades including: First Team All-District, Academic All-State honors and the Newt Hasson Team Spirit Award. As Team Captain, he led the Chaparrals to the 2019 Texas Class 6A Division II state title. Jackson’s coach, Todd Dodge, shared that "Jackson Coker was the absolute heart and soul of our 2019 state championship; if you had to choose a Mr. Chaparral, it would be Jackson Coker.”

Off the field, Jackson excelled in the classroom and the community. While enrolled at Westlake, he took multiple AP-level classes and developed relationships with students and teachers that will last a lifetime. Jackson was a member of the National Honor Society, the Westlake C-Society and was involved in many other activities, including the Business Incubator program. Outside of the classroom, he followed in his brother’s footsteps by performing service hours teaching vacation Bible school at Riverbend Church.

Jackson’s excellence in both academics and athletics earned him entry to the prestigious Columbia University in New York City. Due to the pandemic, he spent his freshman year studying remotely near the University of Texas campus and was scheduled to attend in-person classes and play his first season with the Lions in the Fall of 2021. Columbia Head Coach, Al Bagnoli shared "Not only was he a talented student-athlete who excelled on and off the field, but someone who embodied the personal characteristics our program is built upon. He personified what great teammates are all about. They give great effort in everything they undertake, are extremely accountable in their actions and always put team first. That, in a nutshell was Jackson."

Above all, Jackson was a follower of Christ and had a steadfast faith which was on display each time he led the Westlake Football team in their pre-game prayer. Jackson glorified God in all that he did and the family is confident that God has welcomed him home and told him “well done my good and faithful servant”.

Services for Jackson will be held at 6:30 p.m. on Sunday, March 21st at Riverbend Church, 4214 N Capital of Texas Hwy. After the service, please join us on the Westlake High School football field starting at 8:00 p.m. in advance of an 8:30 p.m. “16 Minutes of Light” video tribute.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made to https://kgskids.com

or a charity of your choosing in memory of Jackson.

If you have made any social media posts that you wish the family to see, please also include them on this site by clicking ‘add a memory’ below.