James William Jackson

James W. Jackson, 91, of Centralia passed away Thursday, January 22, 2026, at SSM Health Good Samaritan Hospital in Mount Vernon. He was born on December 21, 1934, in Keenes, Illinois, the son of Lester and Gladys Jackson. He married the love of his life, Patsy (Epperson) on Christmas Day in 1955, at the Wayne City Baptist Church in Wayne City. They celebrated fifty wonderful years of marriage before her passing on January 26, 2006.

Survivors that will hold dear memories of James include his sons, Timothy Jackson and wife Colleen of Effingham, Illinois, and James Kemp of St. Louis, MO; his daughter, Jill King and husband Michael of Vine Grove, Kentucky; grandchildren, Derek Jackson, Meredeth Jackson, Makenzie Bruns and husband Robert, and Lindzie Terry and husband Dalton; great-grandchildren, Jonathan, Kayleigh, Saad Timothy, James, Jackson, Knox and Jeffery; siblings, Dean Jackson and wife Juanice of Wayne City and Janie Stephens of Fairfield; brother-in-law, Larry Brashear of Orchardville; and a host of nieces, nephews, extended family members, friends, and his special friend Mary Auxier.

Along with his beloved wife, Patsy Jackson; James was preceded in death by his parents, Lester and Gladys Jackson, and his sister Jeanette Brashear.

James was a faithful follower of Jesus and member of Central City Baptist Church, where he taught Sunday school for many years, and played on the church softball team. He was a member of the Corvette club and used his classic 1959 Corvette in many Centralia parades and car shows in the local area winning several best-in-show awards. He enjoyed hunting quail every year hunting with friends, family using his hunting dog on these trips.

He was an intellectual who valued education having achieved a bachelor's degree from McKendree College. He took advantage of a National Science Foundation grant to study at Purdue University before receiving a master's degree from the University of Northern Iowa. He continued to improve his education by attending college in the summer. He attended the University of California at Berkeley's Lawrence Radiation Laboratory studying computers and radiation; the University of Vermont conducting research in ultrasonic sound; the University of Illinois; Texas A&M University, Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville.

James began his 42-year career as an educator at Wayne City High School in 1954. He came to Centralia High School (CHS) in 1960 as a Mathematics and Science teacher. He began teaching at Centralia Junior College in 1966 before the school left the CHS campus in 1967 to move to its current location on Shattuc Road west of Centralia and became known as Kaskaskia College. He continued to serve as a professor in math and science until his retirement from Kaskaskia College in 1998 after 42 years as an educator.

James began his athletic career at Wayne City High School playing basketball and baseball. He attended McKendree College and played basketball until a car accident left him hospitalized from Thanksgiving to Christmas and ended his collegiate athletic career in 1953. His involvement in athletics continued when he became the freshman-sophomore basketball and baseball coach at Wayne City High School. While at Centralia High School he coached youth basketball, baseball and softball recreation leagues and continued to serve as the women's softball coach at Kaskaskia College until his retirement. He also kept the statistics at the Centralia Holiday Tournament from 1960, until computers replaced the need for individuals to maintain those statistics.

James was not content just to coach athletics; he remained active in athletics himself playing church softball and recreation league basketball and softball in Centralia. He got involved in Senior Olympics in St. Louis, St. Charles, Springfield, and Mount Vernon when he turned 55 (the entrance age is now 50) and participated in track and field, basketball, softball, horseshoes, soccer, and golf earning over a thousand gold and silver medals in many of these events. He had the privilege of qualifying for and attending four National Senior Olympics in New York, Louisiana, Kentucky, and St. Louis, where he earned silver medals in several events. He played golf four times a week after his retirement until his recent illness kept him off the golf course.

The family will hold a celebration of life service at 10:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 27, 2026, at the Central City Baptist Church with Pastor Michael Hall and Michael King officiating. Interment will follow at Thomason Cemetery in Wayne City. Relatives and friends are welcome to a visitation at 9:00 a.m. Tuesday, January 27, 2026, before the service time at Central City Baptist Church.

The great-grandchildren Jonathan, Kayleigh, Saad Timothy, James, Jackson, Knox, and Jeffery will serve as honorary pallbearers.

Memorials in James' honor will go to Central City Baptist Church through Irvin Macz Funeral Home in Centralia. Individuals may share online condolences and memories of James with his family by visiting maczfuneralhomes.com and/or on the funeral home Facebook page.