William Riley Jackson

William Riley Jackson January 16, 1925 - August 14, 2007 On August 14 Bill very peacefully passed away at home from the complications of heart disease and diabetes, with his adoring wife, Suzanne Turley, at his side. He was surrounded by his loving friends and family throughout his illness. His warmth, great hugs, loving spirit, kindness, generosity and loyalty will remain with everyone blessed to know and love him. Bill was born January 16, 1925 in Texas, and raised in Oklahoma by his widowed mother, with brothers, Hoyt (Jack), and Dan, who predeceased him. All three joined the military in WWII and used the GI Bill to attend Chico State College and later UC Berkeley for higher degrees. He considered California his home. Bill worked hard from an early age and pursued along career with the federal and state governments as a property appraiser. Taking early retirement, he bicycled through Europe, and bored, worked again for over a decade in a similar capacity for the US Postal Service. Always athletic, Bill was a champion wrestler in college and took up bicycling, golf, tennis and hang gliding later in life. A lifelong liberal, he was very active in the civil rights movement, the labor movement and Democratic Party politics. In his home are many of the lovely pots and cups he threw during an interest in ceramics. He loved all kinds of music and played the guitar and the harmonica. Early on he studied voice briefly, and his beautiful deep bass speaking voice gave a hint of what might have been. Besides his wife, Suzanne, survivors include many dear friends, nieces and nephews, and those of his late wife, Joan Nelson. Suzanne wishes to thank many friends and the medical and support staff of Kaiser Hospital and Hospice San Francisco for the wonderful care and sensitive and loving support given Bill and her during his illness. A private celebration of Bill's life and love will take place in October.