James “Jim” Robert Jackson passed away in Mesa, Arizona on March 2, 2023. He was born September 27, 1932 in Mount Vernon, Illinois to M.E. (Melvin Earl) and Marian I. Jackson.
In 1955, he married Ruth Marie Moore; she preceded him in death on January 31, 2023. In addition to his wife, Jim was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Gene, and son-in-law Jack Keisling.
He is survived by their three children, Nancy of Aurora, Illinois, Michelle Jackson-Keisling (Jack) of Page, Arizona, and Barry (Libby) of Mount Vernon; grandchildren, James Ryan Jackson and Megan Elizabeth Jackson-Schmidt (Ryan), Hayden Jackson Keisling; five step grandchild Kyran Keisling, Kiera Keisling, Collin Keisling, Jacob Keisling, and Megan Keisling Santos; and two great-grandsons, Jeremiah Charles Schmidt and Elijah Allen Schmidt. He was a loving father and grandfather.
Jim attended the University of Illinois and graduated in 1954 with a Bronze Tablet (top 3% of his class).
Jim became a partner in M.E. Jackson Jewelry in 1954 with his father, M.E., who started the business in 1922, his mother and brother Gene. In 1984, his son Barry joined the family business.
Jim was active in a variety of civic activities over the years including Rotary District 6510 District Governor 1977-78. His Governor’s project was to help handicapped children from Central America come to the St. Louis Masonic Hospital for life-altering surgeries. He was a member of the Board of Directors of First Bank and Trust, Past President of King City Retailers, Downtown Development Corporation, Jefferson County Equal Opportunities Committee, Inter-Faith Fellowship, Rotary Club of Mount Vernon, First Community Church Council, Jefferson County United Way Fund drive chairman, YMCA board member, Black Gold District Boy Scouts, Jefferson County Chamber of Commerce Small Business Person of the Year and Illinois South Conference of United Church of Christ.
Jim and Ruth retired in 1995 to enjoy several years of golf, bridge, and sunshine in Bonita Springs, Florida, and then Ocala. In 2019, they moved to Mesa, Arizona to be closer to their daughter, Michelle. They were active in clubs at Fellowship Square, plus helping to support efforts to feed the homeless through the IHELP program in the Tempe area.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Rotary Belize Crippled Children’s Program and can be dropped off or mailed to Hughey Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held on May 20, 2023 at 11:00 am at Hughey Funeral Home in Mount Vernon, Illinois. The memorial service will be available via zoom. Please go to zoom.us/join and enter the following meeting ID: 873 9859 0628
Call Hughey Funeral Home at 618-242-3348 or visit hugheyfh.com for further information.