Ned Robert Jackson

Ned Robert Jackson, 80, left this earth peacefully on August 27, 2014. He was born to Harold and Adelaide Jackson on April 29, 1934. He was the younger of their two children. Ned (AKA Papa) grew up in Fredonia, Arizona. Born into a family of cattlemen, he spent countless hours riding horses and rounding up cattle, which explains the cowboy hat he proudly wore. He met the love of his life, Joanna, while she was still in high school; they were married on Christmas Eve, 1953, when she was sixteen and he was nineteen. They were later sealed in the St. George Temple. Ned worked on forest service fire crews while attending Utah State University, where he earned a degree in forestry. This led to a career in the Forest Service, in which he flew to the top of the ladder, moving thirty eight times in the first forty eight years of their sixty year marriage. Ned retired in 1984 as Forest Service National Director of Aviation and Fire Management. His retirement only lasted a year; neither Ned nor Joanna could stand him being retired. Ned then went to work for the Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation, working directly for the State Director, and then as Assistant Manager of the Boise Area Parks. In 1986 he became manager of Ponderosa State Park in McCall, Idaho. There he and Joanna lived in their own piece of paradise on the peninsula of Lake Payette. In 1990, they moved to Almo, Idaho: a small, peaceful town inhabited by good-hearted people. Ned worked there as the very first manager of City of Rocks National Park Reserve while also managing Lake Walcott State Park and Castle Rock State Park. In 2001, Ned retired for the second time, moving to Orem, Utah where he and Joanna had owned a home for eight years. Shortly thereafter, Ned and Joanna served a mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints at the Mormon Handcart Historic Sites at Martin's Cove and Sixth Crossing in Wyoming where Ned was able to utilize his excellence in management, planning and organizing skills. During and following his mission he made hundreds of miniature wooden handcarts which he freely and lovingly gave away. For the last twenty years, Ned has been known as "Papa Santa". At Christmastime, he sported a red western shirt and a red band around his cowboy hat with his white curly hair and beard. All of the neighbor kids swore that Santa lived in their neighborhood. Ned was a Renaissance man. His hobbies have included just about everything: flying, hunting, reloading, woodworking, silversmithing, stain glass, and cross-stitch. Throughout his life, Ned always kept his sharp cowboy logic and his small-town big heart. In March, Joanna, his teenage bride of 60 years passed away. Two months ago he was told he had cancer, which had spread to all his bones. To this he immediately replied, "I don't want any chemo or radiation. I just want to go find my wife." Ned is survived by his children: Ned Jr. (Barbara) Jackson of Orem, Utah; John (Nancy) Jackson of San Jose, California; Karen (Gene) White of Orem, Utah; Judy (Carl) Carter of Lindon, Utah; 17 grandchildren and 10 great grandchildren. He was preceded in death by his wife, Joanna; his brother, Herman Jackson; and his parents, Harold and Addie Jackson. Graveside services will be Saturday, August 30, 2014, 2:30 pm at Orem City Cemetery, 1520 North 800 East, Orem. Friends may visit with the family Saturday from 12:00-2:00 pm at Walker Sanderson Funeral Home, 646 East 800 North, Orem, prior to graveside services. Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.walkersanderson.com.