George G. Jackson

Jackson, George Gardner Jr. 
George Jackson, age 88, passed away peacefully in his home in Rio Rancho on Sunday morning, April 29, 2018. George was born January 4, 1930 in Brooklyn , New York to parents Rose Marie Fagan and George Gardner Jackson Sr. He is survived by seven living children; Christine Baker, Kevin Jackson, Kathleen Edings, Laura Colon, Anne Norero, Mary Rakes, and Paul Valdez. He has over 20 grandchildren and many great grandchildren, all of whom he was very proud of and loved dearly. He was blessed to have lived most of his life married to two wonderful women; first to the former Jean Krebs who passed away in 1974 and later to  Waneta (Nita) Valdez who passed away in 2013. George was a Master SGT in the Marine Corps during the Korean War in the first fighter squadron to land jets on an aircraft carrier.  Soon after he left the Marines, he went to work as an aviation mechanic with TWA and retired from American Airlines after a 35 year career. He worked in New York City for the first half of his career and at the Albuquerque Sunport until retirement. He was a 100% disabled Veteran who dearly loved his country and especially his adopted state of New Mexico for over 50 years. George had a wonderful Irish tenor voice and loved to sing at weddings and family gatherings as well as a local voice at Albuquerque Civic Light Opera. He dearly loved musical plays and operas and listening to music and watching the old classic movies. George loved to travel and had been to most states and over 30 countries during his lifetime. He had a love for all animals and was an avid horse rider, baseball player, sailor, and fisherman growing up as a boy in New York City. He was admired and respected by all who knew him. 

Services will be held on Saturday, May 12,2018 at 2;00 p.m. at St. Thomas Aquinas Church, 1502 Sara Rd. SE, Rio Rancho, NM. Inurnment will be Monday, May 14, 2018 at 10:30 AM at Santa Fe National Cemetery.