Curtis "CJ" Jackson French

Graveside services for Curtis Jackson”CJ” French will be held on Tuesday, May 23rd, 2017 at 1:00 PM at Tahlequah City Cemetery with Reverend David Wiens officiating. Online condolences for his family may be left at www.reedculver.com.

Curtis Jackson, or CJ to all who knew him, was born on November 24th, 1927 , in Phillips, TX, the son of Curtis Clinton and Velma Ione (Goodwin) French. He grew up in the “oil Patch” and attended Crooked Oak High School in Oklahoma City. It was immediately after WWII, and C J enlisted in the US Army as a paratrooper, serving 18 months in the US Army. After receiving his honorable discharge, he returned to Oklahoma and became an academic at Oklahoma University. He was a football and basketball enthusiast and played football for OU under Bud Wilkinson. In 1949, they played the Sugar Bowl in New Orleans, demonstrating exceptional sporting abilities. His career was to end suddenly with a broken ankle. It was on February 24th, 1951, he married JoEllen Mounts in Oklahoma City. Together they had four children, Marcia, Mark, Marla, and Melissa. While working on his degree in business, he worked as a cemetery property salesperson, and as a finance salesman. The family lived for awhile in Denson, TX then returned to Oklahoma in 1955 to work for Phillips Petroleum as a salesman. His work took him all over the United States, and he excelled at his career. He would later transfer to Tulsa then Arkadelphia, AR. While in Tulsa, he achieved the Salesman of the Year award two years in a row for the Tulsa Chamber of Commerce. He and JoEllen decided on moving to Tahlequah, OK to work for themselves. They purchased and operated the Strato Oil Company in Tahlequah, OK. When he wasn’t working, he was constantly tinkering on projects around the house. He occasionally enjoyed a trip to Lake Tenkiller with his family to do a little boating. He was also quite accomplished on a dance floor, and liked an evening out dancing. He was constantly working to provide for his family. A Christian by faith, he attended the First Baptist Church of Tahlequah. CJ passed form this life on May 18th, 2017 in Tulsa, OK. He was 89 years old.

He is preceded in death by his mother, father, and his sister, Colletta Steiger.

CJ is survived by his wife of 66 years, JoEllen French of the home in Tulsa. He leaves his children, Marcia Pillow and husband John of Tulsa, OK, Mark French of Tulsa, Marla McMillan and husband Tony of Catoosa, and Melissa Jones and husband Kelly of Broken Arrow, OK. He leaves one niece, Deborah Urquhart, eight grandchildren, Zachery French, Ashley French, Courtney Cobb, Raven Shipman, Melise Eubanks, Gavin Pillow, Scott Pillow, and Olivia Grace French. There are two great grandchildren, Diego Perfecto and Lucy Pillow, as well as cousins and many acquaintances.