John Frederick Jackson Jr.

JOHN FREDERICK JACKSON, JR.
Lieutenant-Commander, U.S. Navy, Retired
1928-2024
John Frederick Jackson, Jr., age 96, of Pensacola completed his life's journey on July 4, 2024.
John (a.k.a. Johnny, Jay, JJ) was born in Pawtucket, Rhode Island on June 5, 1928 to John F. and Bessie F. Jackson. He is a direct descendant of Roger Williams, the founder of the state.
He received his early education in Rhode Island and graduated from Brockton High School, Massachusetts before joining the Navy in the final days of WWII in 1946. He attended the University of Miami, Florida under a Navy flight training program and entered the Navy Pre-flight School in Pensacola in 1948 and received his wings in 1950. During this time he met and married Evelyn Ruth Parks, the daughter of Durwood F. and Bertha H. Parks of Pensacola.
After two years of naval service on the West Coast, Alaska, Hawaii, and Korea during the Korean Conflict, the couple returned to civilian life and school. John received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Aviation Management from the University of Miami in 1956 and re-entered the Navy. After several tours of duty as flight instructor at Corry and Saufley Fields in Pensacola, Navy orders took John, Evelyn, and daughter Jonnie to duty in Okinawa, Taiwan, Japan, then back to Coronado, California. In 1964 he was ordered to the Training and Administration of Reserves (TAR) program training "Week-end Warrior" squadrons at NAS South Weymouth, MA and NAS New Orleans, LA.
In 1971 John and his family returned to Pensacola where he spent his final tour of duty in VT-5 training flight students to land on the deck of the aircraft carrier Lexington. John and Evelyn retired from the Navy in 1974 after 28 years of service.
John studied at Pensacola Junior College and the University of West Florida (UWF) from 1975 to 1979 receiving an AA in computer science and art and a BA in Fine Art. He was the business manager of the State of Florida Historic Preservation Board (now WFHP, Inc. an organization of UWF.) from 1979-1991. John served as treasurer of the Escambia County Democratic Women's Club from 1997-2009.
John was preceded in death by:
his parents, John F. And Bessie F. Jackson
his daughter, Cheryl Ann
his son, John
his sister, Jeanne F. Crowell of Rhode Island
his brother, Dr. David R. Jackson of Massachusetts
John is survived by:
his wife of 73 years, Evelyn R. Jackson
his daughter and son-in-law, J.P. and Steve McLaughlin
his grandchildren:
Jay and Ann Marie McLaughlin
Drew and Thuy McLaughlin
his great grandchildren:
Leanne Novy, Jackson and MariKate McLaughlin, Jacob McLaughlin, Aristia McLaughlin, Jaid McLaughlin, Xander McLaughlin, and Sophia McLaughlin.
Funeral arrangements by Waters and Hibbert Funeral Home, Gregory Street in Pensacola. There will be a future burial ceremony of his cremains at Barrancas National Cemetery, NAS Pensacola.
It was John's wish that in lieu of flowers and other expressions of affection on his behalf, such be donated to the Unitarian-Universalist Church of Pensacola, 9888 Pensacola Blvd.