Wayne Jackson

Wayne Lynwood Jackson (PaPa) passed away on January 26, 2019 surrounded by his family after a valiant eight year struggle with Parkinson’s disease.  He is survived by his beloved wife of 53 years, Patricia (Patti, aka PatPat) Birt Jackson and their three children: Mike Jackson (Julie) and their daughters Grace, Mary Kate and Sarah, of Little Rock, Arkansas; Mark Jackson of Los Angeles, California;  Jennie Stortroen and her son Caleb, of Little Rock; a special son, Tsanko Stoev (Leah and daughter Sofia), also of Little Rock, who was welcomed into their family; his brother Ron Jackson (Virginia) of Garland, Texas, as well as numerous nieces and nephews,  Wayne is preceded in death by his parents, Ruby Carwile and Clarence Jackson, and his brother Don.  The family gratefully acknowledges his compassionate caregivers Valerie Turner, Gwen Barnes, Kara Brazelle, and Michelle Krause.

Wayne was born on June 27, 1943 in Lynchburg, Virginia and later moved to Fredericksburg, Virginia, graduating from James Monroe High School in 1962.  There he met and married Patti, his high school sweetheart, in 1965.  In 1967, Wayne graduated from VA Tech with a degree in Mechanical Engineering.

After college, Wayne worked for Tennessee Valley Authority in Chattanooga and Oak Ridge, TN.  He then moved his family to Kingsport, Tennessee in 1969 where he began working for Tennessee Eastman (Kodak).  In 1976, Wayne joined a team of upstart fellow Eastman employees who moved to Batesville, Arkansas to build and launch Arkansas Eastman Chemicals (now Future Fuels).  He worked for AEC until his retirement in 2000.  A strong family man, Wayne was very active in local community activities, as well as Batesville First United Methodist Church.  An avid photographer, he prided himself in lovingly capturing his family’s events on Kodak branded cameras and film.

In 2000, Wayne and Patti moved to Little Rock where they joined their children and grandchildren as active members of Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church.  He left retirement and worked with URS decommissioning chemical weapons at the Pine Bluff Arsenal until his ultimate retirement in 2008.

A memorial service will be held at 11 AM on Saturday February 2nd, 2019 at Pulaski Heights United Methodist Church.  The family will receive visitors at a reception immediately following the service in the Gathering Hall.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be made to the PHUMC Foundation, 4823 Woodlawn Drive, Little Rock, AR 72205.

To plant a beautiful memorial tree in memory of Wayne Lynwood Jackson, please visit our Tree Store.