Cecil Edmond Jackson

Cecil Edmond Jackson was born in Shattuck, Oklahoma on June 8, 1932. He was the fifth of six children to Marion E and Ida E Jackson and completed all of his school years in Shattuck. Once he graduated from high school, he enlisted in the Air Force in July of 1951 and served during the Korean War. During his years in the Air Force, he was awarded The American Spirit Honor Medal and was honorably discharged in July of 1955.

Upon discharge from the Air Force, he used his GI bill to complete his college education at Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma. Graduating as an engineer, he was recruited while still on campus to join the missile program located in Colorado.  While he was proud to be from Oklahoma, Living in Colorado was his dream and so he happily packed up belongings and newly formed family and moved to Colorado. Cecil worked many years for Martin Marietta/Lockheed Martin; proudly being part of the teams that built, tested and launched the Spartan and Apollo series of rockets that took us to the moon. Cecil spent many hours at Cape Canaveral in Florida and Mission Control in Houston; he loved the Space Program and was proud of his contribution to it.  He retired during the Skylab era and worked in Columbus, Ohio for a few years in the cable business. Colorado was calling him back, though; he retired in July, 1987, traveled the Western United States by vehicle/camper and eventually settled in Grand Junction, Colorado. 

Cecil was married once.  He married Lois G Blakemore of Cheyenne, Wyoming in September of 1956.  The marriage produced two children: Kayleen K Jackson of Monument, Colorado and Mark E Jackson who died in an auto accident on October 4, 1986 at just 28. The marriage was dissolved after 21 years on April 20, 1977.

Cecil’s companion from 1978 to 1999 was Patricia Ann Baumann whom he met while in Columbus, Ohio. Together, they traveled the Western United states and eventually settled in Grand Junction. They spent many happy years, laughter and times together until Patricia passed away after a tragic illness February, 1999.

After retiring, Cecil was a major contributor, for many years,  to the First Christian Church in Grand Junction. He helped with all of the music and microphone coordination for services, practices, weddings, funerals and special events. He really enjoyed running “the boards” as he called it.

Around the same time, Cecil moved to The Village at Country Creek in Fruita. He really enjoyed the wide open areas of Fruita, the friendliness of the little town and the reality they very rarely got snow! It was there he met Catherine Deloris Fawcett. Catherine and Cecil enjoyed many, many years of friendship, travel, laughter and joy. Catherine was Cecil’s right hand and he hers until his passing on May 3, 2020.

Cecil’s wishes were to be laid to rest at the Veteran’s National Cemetery in Grand Junction. He is survived by his daughter, Kayleen K Jackson of Monument, a step-daughter, Kimberly Chapman of Brighton, Colorado and two granddaughters: Chandra K Bell of Colorado Springs and Aubrey B Moorman of Colorado Springs.

He was cherished and loved and greatly missed.

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