Long-time Labor leader, John W. Jackson, passed away peacefully at home on October 25, 2023.

Memorial services will be at 1:00 p.m. on Monday, October 30th at Lunn's Colonial Chapel with Rev. Ben Janssen officiating. Arrangements are under the direction of Lunn's Colonial Funeral Home

John  was born November 17, 1923, in Lubbock County. He moved to Matador, Texas, in 1925 and attended school in Matador until entering the US Navy in 1941. He served in the Pacific Theater and remained in the Navy until December 1946.

John then bought and owned Checker Cab Company in Seymour, Texas. He joined the United Brotherhood of Carpenters and Joiners of America in Odessa, Texas, as a carpenter apprentice in 1950. He worked in Lubbock and Amarillo and then moved to Wichita Falls in 1952.

He worked on several of the larger commercial projects in Wichita Falls and Sheppard Air Force Base. He was elected as Business Representative of Carpenters Local #977 in July of 1960 and retired in July of 1984. John was called back in 1990 and served two years, then one more in 1996. Throughout his career, he was active in the State and West Texas Labor movement. He served as President of the Texas State Council of Carpenters; Vice-President of the Texas State AFL-CIO; Executive Board member of the Texas State Building and Construction Trades Council; Executive Secretary of the Midwestern Texas Building and Construction Trades Council; Secretary of the Wichita Falls Building Trades Council; and President of the Wichita Falls Central Labor Council. He was also active in the Democratic Party and was a delegate to all county and state Democratic Conventions from 1960 to 1984.

John was active in several civic activities: the Wichita Falls Planning Board, the Advisory Board of General Hospital, Manpower Training, Community Action Corp., Budget Committee of United Fund, Wichita Falls Housing Authority, and the First Human Relations Committee. He was active in many volunteer construction projects along with members of Local Union #977: the Graham Ball Boys Club camp at Lake Kickapoo, the Wichita Falls Child Care Program, the play houses that were built to raise money for Jerry Lewis Telethon, American Red Cross, the Rehabilitation Center and Children's Miracle Network.

The thing John was most proud of was his work with the Wichita Falls Carpenters Apprentice Training program that trained and turned out several hundred Journeyman Carpenters. He was instrumental in the establishment of the Energy Aid program in 1980 which helped pay utilities for the needy and was later adopted and put in effect by Texas Electric Service Company and Lone Star Gas Company. This program is still used throughout the State and has raised several millions dollars to help those in need of assistance.

John was a member of the First Baptist Church, WWII Submarine Sailors, VFW, and the Mesquiters Travel Club. He loved to travel and went all over the United States in his RV. He loved to fish, tell stories and jokes, and talk politics.

John is survived by his wife, Jill; his daughter, Janice Janssen of Oklahoma City; five grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; one great-great grandchild; his sister, Janelle Shirley of Odessa; and numerous nephews and nieces.