(03/08/1985 - 03/30/2021)
On March 08, 1985 in Jacksonville, FL, unplanned and unexpected, our Heavenly Father blessed the earth and the Jackson Family with a two-pound baby girl, a TRUE LITTLE ANGEL. The doctors only gave her a fifty-fifty chance of survival, but her mother saw the fight in her eyes, so she gave her a big name: Mackenzie Judith Jackson.
Defying the odds, Mackenzie (Mickey) was sent home within a couple of weeks from the hospital requiring very little medical intervention or attention from Methodist Hospital, where she was born.
Knowing she was a gift from God, Mackenzie gave her life to Christ and was baptized at an early age. She was immersed in the Christian community that would be her lifelong support, and was a member of The Bethel Church in Jacksonville, FL.
Always the shortest but always the bossiest person in the family, the relationship she had with her big brother, Joshua Carl Jackson, was unlike any other. Mackenzie was a wonderful little sister, however because of her ‘take charge’ personality, you would often think she was the eldest. Joshua’s pet name for his little sister was, “Militant Midget.” Rest assured their love for each other was unflappable, and she always had his back, EVEN WITH MOM AND DAD. Mackenzie was Joshua’s biggest fan and supporter.
On September 14, 1996, Judith Jackson and Bernard Chapple were married. With this union, not only did Mackenzie and Joshua gain a loving and supportive father, but a large, blended family that included two sisters - Kelli and Leslie Chapple. Kelli and Mackenzie had a remarkably close relationship. In 1997, the family moved to Fleming Island, FL to give the three younger children more space and better schools.
Mackenzie attended Clay High school and graduated in 2003. She was an exemplary student, never making less than a 3.5 GPA. At Clay High School, she was the captain of both Clay Blue Devil’s Marching Band’s Flag Team, and the Winter Guard. She was also a member of the Clay High Weightlifting Team where her nick name was “Big Mack.” She still holds several female state records to date. The consistent note to her parents on all progress reports and parent teacher conferences was, “Mackenzie spends a lot of time taking care of the other students and loves a good conversation and is the absolute joy of the class.” Despite her parent’s efforts to tell her to mind her own business, take care of herself and close her mouth, the teachers’ comments never changed.
Continuing a family tradition, Mackenzie attended Florida A&M University (FAMU) where she studied Nursing. Leaving college after the tragic death of her beloved sister Kelli on September 08, 2007, she became a Home Care Health provider. Her favorite client being her grandmother, Verdell Safo-Bruce.
Some of Mackenzie’s passions were candy of all kinds, public speaking, gift basket making, cooking and, of course, caring for others. She also volunteered at the Justice Coalition and took a very strong interest in innocent victims of violent crime after the death of her sister Kelli. As a Public Speaker, she was a member of Toastmaster’s International achieving the level of Toastmaster Silver and winning many speaking awards.
On October 12, 2020, Mackenzie started a new career in the mortgage banking industry at Freedom Mortgage and was doing exceptionally well according to her managers and coworkers. With her star rising quickly, in February 2021 she was awarded Top Protect and Defend Performer.
While Mackenzie loved music, cooking, laughing, caring for others, hosting parties, reality TV, crime shows, all things Disney and Marvel Comics, nothing gave her more joy than her 10-year-old daughter, Mikayla Kelli Clarke (aka Boo), born August 27, 2010. Like her mom, Mikayla was an unexpected, unplanned gift from God weighing barely two pounds. Finding out that she was expecting on the day Mikayla was born, and with no prenatal care, the doctors gave her less than a 50% chance of survival. Mackenzie and Robert decided to name Mikayla after Mackenzie’s sister - her middle name, Kelli, stands for strength. Strong like her mom, Mikayla required very little medical intervention or attention from Orange Park Medical Center where she was born. Since the day she was born, Mackenzie and her Boo have been inseparable. It is often said that they beat with the same heart and live in their own universe where rainbows, unicorns, fairies, love, smiles and everyone loves everyone because that is how it is supposed to be.
On March 30, 2021 at 3:15pm, only twenty-three days after her 36th birthday, just as unplanned and unexpected as she came, our Little Angel flew away after a brief stay at Orange Park Medical Center. The sadness felt by her family is overwhelming and indescribable. This 4’10” little lady was indeed the glue who tirelessly held our family together.
She was a loving mother, daughter, sister, granddaughter, niece, cousin and friend. Mackenzie was sometimes bossy, yet her loving and caring personality will be missed by all who knew and loved her. She loved being around family and friends and never met a pair of flip-flops she did not like, especially if they were in her favorite color purple. Always the peace maker, and not much for make-up, dress-up or much clothing at all, she believed that everyone should be accepted, “just as they are.”
Mackenzie was preceded in death by both grandfathers Enoch Brooks and Bernard Chapple Sr. both great-grandmothers, her dear, dear big sister Kelli Chapple (03/31/1984 - 09/08/2007). She is survived by her daughter Mikayla Clarke (Boo), parents Judith and Bernard Chapple, her loving and protective big brother Joshua C. Jackson, both grandmothers Sammie Brooks and Verdell Safo-Bruce, stepbrother Gecolby Wright, and stepsister Leslie Chapple. Very dear and special aunts Pamela Brooks, Angela Witherspoon, Tobi Chapple-Brown (Andrew), Robin Chapple-McClinton, Uncle, Edward Brooks, Very dear and special cousins Ian Sr. (Brantanic),Erin Crews, Ian Jr, Lamareya, Ariel, Tyler and Blake Brown and LaShonda Foster Vereen. Also mourning her death are Mikayla’s Dad Robert Clarke and her God Parents Jerrell Wilson and Gina White (Ronald), and a host of great aunts, uncles, cousins, classmates, co-workers, friends and everyone whose life she has touched or fed in her brief visit here on earth.
A cherished memory of Mackenzie’s was when her Great grandmother Isabelle Spencer passed away, she was only 8 years old. As we pulled up to the home in Tallahassee, FL her father Bernard turned to her and said, “Mackenzie, they don’t need any of your happiness in here today, everyone is sad.” She looked at him and said, “then they really do need my happiness Daddy.”
MACKENZIE WE REALLY DO NEED YOUR HAPPINESS RIGHT NOW!
A visitation will be held on Friday, April 9, 2021 from 6:00 p.m. until 8:00 p.m. at Hardage-Giddens Rivermead, 127 Blanding Boulevard, Orange Park, FL 32073. A Celebration of Mackenzie's life will be held on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. at the funeral home.
A live stream of the celebration of life will be available on Saturday, April 10, 2021 at 11:00 a.m. Please copy and paste one of the available links to your web browser to view the services: https://youtu.be/f5Cz6XWqOyk
or https://youtu.be/yUDzCIUzvCM
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.hardage-giddensrivermead.com for the JACKSON family.
