Rachel Ricks Jackson

1932 - 2020

Ms. Rachel Ricks Jackson

Ms. Rachel Ricks Jackson, of Eufaula, passed away surrounded by family on Saturday, September 12th in Fairfield, CA at the age of 87.

Although Ms. Jackson was born on the cold autumn day of November 23, 1932, in Barbour County to Joe Nathan and Charlena Ricks, she was one of the warmest people one could ever meet. She grew up loving her family which included her parents; her brother, Joseph Ricks; and her sister, Charlene Lavallier; all of whom are deceased. Her remaining siblings that she loved dearly all her life are her brother, Jesse Ricks, of Middletown, Connecticut; and three sisters: Joann Cogar, Lovie Anderson, and Rubye Love, all of Vallejo, California. She leaves many nephews, nieces, cousins, and friends that she valued. Her heart always belonged to her only child, Pam, of Fairfield, CA; and three grandchildren—Candice Super, Tiffany Leverette, and Weldon Barnes Jr., of Vallejo, CA. She also loved her son-in-law, Weldon Sr., and as she would say her "chosen grandchildren" --Terrence, Gerrell and Dulce-- because they were her grandchildren's mates, respectively.

Ms. Jackson lived an accomplished life by many people's standards. After graduating from T.V. McCoo High School, she attended Alabama State University in Montgomery, Alabama; where she not only made the Dean's List often, but she was also a member of the Alpha Phi Sorority. What she was most pleased with was being captain of the women's basketball team at ASU. She did have long legs on that 5 feet 8-inch slender frame that she carried with grace and dignity. When graduating from ASU with a bachelor's degree majoring in mathematics, she had met a young soldier, Willie Jackson Jr., at a military dance at Fort Benning, Georgia; who had returned from the Korean War as a paratrooper and was now starting a military career as an entomologist as the Directorate of Facilities Engineering at Fort Benning. During their time as a married couple, they started several businesses together.

Ms. Jackson soon headed west to a place called Vallejo, California, where she had found employment at Solano Junior College. Of course, she later returned to Alabama and decided to attend Tuskegee University to receive her master's degree in Education. After receiving her Master's, she was offered a tenured position at Tuskegee Institute which she accepted for only a brief while because she wanted to return to Eufaula, Alabama. Not only did she always have employment as a teacher, but she had taught at every level. From college to high school, to junior high to elementary school, which she retired from after 40 illustrious years of doing what she loved.

Even though she loved molding and shaping young minds with academic knowledge, she would without hesitation say that her happiest times were teaching people young and old the Bible. She was baptized in the Gulf of Mexico as one of Jehovah's Witnesses many decades ago. She enjoyed serving in the full-time ministry in the Eufaula Congregation. As a Bible teacher, she helped many individuals to the point of them dedicating their lives to serving Jehovah.

She attended numerous international conventions as a delegate in Poland, London, Russia, and Germany, to name a few of the places she had traveled to and made some lifelong friends.

There are so many friends that she loved with all her heart, like her close dear friend, Nell Williams. Two individuals that she thought of as her daughters and helped her in getting to her meetings, doctors' appointments, traveling to California, and just making sure she was doing well, are Mary Flowers and Hazel Hill.

Due to failing health, her family moved her to California a year ago. She was truly a blessing to the whole family. Everywhere she went she touched people's hearts because she was so loving. She will be remembered for being the best mom anyone could desire, a great teacher and her big smile.

A virtual memorial service will be held Saturday, October 3, 2020 at 3:00pm (CST).

Arrangements were entrusted to Trident Society.