Donald E. Jackson

1924 - 2023

Carlsbad has lost an old timer. Donald Edgar Jackson, whose memories of Carlsbad date back to the 1920s, passed away on February 13, 2023, at the age of 98.
Don was born on July 5, 1924, in Covina, California, to Percy and Helen Jackson. He was raised on the family citrus ranch on Azusa Avenue, graduated from Covina High School in 1942, and later that same year volunteered for service with the U.S. Army 40th Combat Engineers.
At the end of World War II, Don returned home to Covina, married his high school sweetheart, Jeane Gates, and graduated from Pomona College as a beneficiary of the G.I. Bill. Then, with two children and another on the way, Don moved his family to Upland, California, and began his teaching career at nearby Chaffey High School. Don transferred to Upland High School for its inaugural year in 1955 where he taught U.S. history and civics for the next 27 years.
As a child, Don spent summers at the Advent Christian church camp on the grounds of what is now the Army and Navy Academy in Carlsbad. When the opportunity arose in 1966, Don bought a one-bedroom cottage on Normandy Lane, about 100 feet from where he had spent his childhood summers. In 1981 Don retired from teaching, sold his Upland house, and he and Jeane moved into their little beach cottage in Carlsbad.
Don soon became active in Carlsbad community affairs, serving on numerous citizens committees, including the Beach Preservation Committee and the Buena Vista Lagoon Joint Powers Committee. Don was a member and past president of the local California Retired Teacher Association and was regularly invited by schools to talk about his experiences in WWII and the liberation of the Dachau Concentration Camp. Don was a past elder with the Oceanside First Presbyterian Church, and he and Jeane served the church in various capacities for over 30 years.
Don was predeceased by his wife, Jeane, and is survived by his three children, Donna Jeane (Mike) Sullivan, Alan (Ana) Jackson, and Glenn (Phyllis) Jackson. He is also survived by two grandchildren, Kathryn Sullivan Gamble and Ernest Jackson.
Don loved ice cream, fresh corn on the cob, baseball, and 4th of July cookouts. But most of all, he loved his family. We will miss him always.