Samuel W. Jackson

JACKSON, Samuel Wilson "Sam," 88, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ Sunday, April 12, 2015, due to complications of Parkinson's disease. He was born in Bluefield, West Virginia on September 3, 1926, along with a twin brother, the late Dr. Thomas W. Jackson of Rome, Ga. He was the son of the late Langdon Andrew and Elsie Horner Jackson of Bluefield. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Marriott Henry Jackson. He is also survived by two daughters and their husbands and children, Jeanine Jackson and Porter Raper of Portland, Oregon, and Julie and Anthony Strange of Richmond, Virginia; granddaughters and grandson-in-law, Ashley Strange, Corrie and Joshua Hughes, Carson Strange and Emma Raper. He was preceded in death by four other siblings, Robert William Jackson, Atlanta, Georgia, Col. Langdon A. Jackson Jr., Harrisonburg, Pennsylvania, Miriam Lee Jackson Briscoe, Metuchen, New Jersey and David Horner Jackson, Edison, New Jersey. In high school, Jackson achieved the rank of Eagle Scout. He attended the VPI extension at Bluefield College for one year and was a 1948 honors graduate of Virginia Tech in Mechanical Engineering. He was a member of six honorary fraternities including Omicron Delta Kappa, Tau Beta Pi, Phi Kappa Phi, and Pi Tau Sigma. Immediately upon graduation he went to work for C&P Telephone Co. (now Verizon) in Lynchburg and in 1949 to Richmond. In April 1953, he received a direct commission as a First Lt. in the U.S. Air Force and served on active duty until 1955 and five years as Captain in the Reserves. After 34 years of service for the telephone company he retired in 1982. Jackson then served as a Realtor with Ebel, Jenkins & Traynham for over eight years before leaving to mentor his son-in-law, Anthony, with the company Anthony started in 1990, Integrated Business Systems, Inc. Jackson was on the Advisory Board of BB&T Bank and the Board of Bluefield College for eight years. He was a member and past president of both the West Richmond Rotary and the West Richmond Business Men's Association. He served on the boards of Metro Richmond YMCA, Westminster Canterbury, First Virginia Thanksgiving Festival, Keep Virginia Beautiful, RCAP, Tom Skinner and Associates of New York, National Alliance of Businessmen, Needles Eye Ministries, Robert E. Lee Council Boy Scouts, Prison Fellowship and the Young Life Ministries. Jackson's faith was very important to him, devoting countless hours to ministry and mentoring opportunities. He was an elder at Third Presbyterian Church and former officer for the Presbytery. In the 1970s, Jackson started a number of fellowship prayer breakfasts across the city, some of which are still going today. The Commonwealth Prayer Breakfast, which he co-chaired for nearly 30 years, received commendation from the General Assembly in January 2005. In the Continued... JACKSON (Continued) early 1980s Ebenezer Baptist Church presented him an award for his leadership. Jackson was a member of the Country Club of Virginia, the 55 Golf Association and was President of the Metro-Richmond Golf Association. Always active in the United Way, he served as associate Campaign Chairman in 1976. Jackson served as Republican Finance Chairman of Henrico County 1970-2 and as Third District Finance Chairman for Tom Bliley 1980 and later for Paul Trible's Campaign. Always full of energy, he valued his relationship with family and his many friends. Jackson was a lover of practical jokes and possessed a wonderful sense of humor. The family would like to thank the loving and supportive nurses and staff of the Westminster Canterbury Parson's First Floor West. They will receive friends on Wednesday, April 15 from 5 to 7 p.m. at the Parham Chapel, Woody Funeral Home, 1717 N. Parham Rd. A celebration of life service will be held at Third Church, 600 Forest Av., Richmond, Virginia on Thursday, April 16 at 12 noon. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to Young Life of Richmond, West End (VA 45), YL Richmond, P.O. Box 708007, Richmond Virginia, 23255 or Third Church, 600 Forest Avenue, Richmond, Virginia 23229. Online condolences may be made to www.woodyfuneralhome.com.