Henry Darrell "Al" Jackson passed away on Thursday, June 25, 2020, at
his home in Battlefield, Missouri, at the age of 84, after a brief
battle with cancer.
Al, the son of Wilburn and Irma (Dettke) Jackson, was born in Santa
Monica, California, on May 24, 1936. He was a 1954 graduate of Junction
City High School in Junction City, Kansas. He married Virginia (Meyer)
Jackson in 1955, and to this union six children were born. They were
divorced many years later. In August of 1980, he was united in marriage
to Karen (Tunnell) Jackson, and they were blessed to share almost 40
years together.
He spent his career as a credit representative for General Motors
(GMAC) as well as a loan officer for Mid-America Credit Union. These
positions gave Al an opportunity to create a huge network of friends and
acquaintances with ties to the automobile industry over the years. As
the auto industry changed, so did Al’s job, which found he and Karen
making their home in several communities during their married life, to
include Hays, Salina, and Rose Hill in Kansas, before retiring to
Battlefield, Missouri, leaving behind a cadre of beloved friends,
neighbors and co-workers with each departure.
Al’s larger than life personality endeared him to all those who knew
him. Friends and family alike agreed that his zest for life was what
set him apart from everyone else. Al was a huge baseball fan and loved
talking about his days as a pitcher on the Junction City Blue Jays
hometown team in his younger years, and the many games he pitched at
Rathert Stadium. An avid sports fan, he spent countless hours cheering
on his beloved Jayhawks, Royals, and finally his Super Bowl Champion
Chiefs. He relished the fact that many thought he looked a lot like the
Kansas City Chiefs coach, Andy Reid. He was always ready to strike his
“coach” pose for a photo op when requested. His love for “all things
collectible” kept the house full of sports memorabilia and apparel that
he was happy to share with family and friends whenever they visited.
The last several years of Al’s life he was able to enjoy and participate
in the major achievements of all his favorite teams that every sports
fan hopes to enjoy. He attended many games for his favorite college
basketball team, the KU Jayhawks, and cheered them on to many Big 12
Championships. Another special memory will always be the 3-generation
family trip to attend a Kansas City Royals World Series game. They won
the game, lost the Series, but won it all the next year. All was right
with the world. The family gathered in Battlefield in 2020 to help Al
cheer on the Kansas City Chiefs to a much-anticipated Super Bowl
championship, allowing him to strike his infamous “Andy Reid” pose as
the winning coach.
His love for landscaping was always evident with his “green thumb”
for growing over 100 unique cactus varieties over the years. His
beautiful yard, koi ponds, and yard décor were a testament to his pride
to achieve a picture-perfect outdoor space to be enjoyed by everyone. A
lover of music, you could always find him in the backyard listening to
his favorite tunes while enjoying his favorite beverage. Al’s passion
for yard décor and all things mystical were a matter of difference of
décor opinion between he and Karen. Al’s great love for wizards and
gargoyles would cause you to find many statuettes adorning the fence
posts and tables, much to Karen’s dismay. The crocodile head that
floated in the koi pond served as a constant reminder of his
tongue-in-cheek humor.
One of Al’s greatest joys was sharing in the lives of his children,
grandchildren and great-grandchildren. He and Karen enjoyed many trips
over the years to attend school functions, track meets, and ball games
to show their support, as well as family get-togethers and celebrations.
His love for animals was well known, and he was never without one of
his canine companions at his side over the years. There were many, and
they will all be waiting to greet him at the end of the rainbow bridge.
His love for his pets was unbounding, and he spent countless hours
training, teaching, loving, and nurturing them back to health when
needed.
He was preceded in death by his parents, his first wife, Virginia, daughter, Kathy, and son, Kris.
Al is survived by his beloved wife, Karen, and sons, Ken (Stacey)
Jackson, Osborne, Kansas, Kerry (Cindy) Jackson, Lincoln, Kansas, Kelly
Jackson, Asheville, North Carolina and Kevin Jackson, Salina, Kansas;
eight grandchildren; 12 great-grandchildren; sister, Gayla (Ron) Dewitt,
and brother, Robert Jackson, both of Topeka, Kansas; a host of nieces
and nephews; cousins; mother-in-law, Esther Tunnell; brother-in-law
David (Trudy) Tunnell; special family friend, Kimbray Nunnold, and
beloved canine companions, Riley and Bailey, who dearly miss him.
A celebration of life service will be held at 11:00 a.m. Friday,
July 3, 2020, at the First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ), 703
S. Hickory, Mount Vernon, Missouri. Visitation will be held from
10:00-11:00 a.m. prior to the service at the Church. Burial will follow
at the Miller Memorial Gardens, Miller, Missouri.
Memorials may be made to the Humane Society of Southwest Missouri or
Integrity Home Care & Hospice in care of the funeral home.
The service is under the direction of the Fossett-Mosher Funeral Home, 510 E. Cherry St., Mount Vernon, Missouri 65712.