Frederick D. "Fred" Jackson

HAMILTON – Frederick D. “Fred” Jackson, 92, of Hamilton passed away Wednesday, May 10, 2017 at his home.  He was born in Boston, Massachusetts on March 30, 1925 to Frederick D. and Harriet L. Jackson and reared in Durham, New Hampshire.

Fred attended grade school in Durham and High School in Dover, NH.  He left High School in January 1943 to attend the University of New Hampshire.  Fred entered the United States Naval Academy in July 1944, graduating in June 1948.  He served with the Service Force, Pacific Fleet and in USS Des Moines with the Sixth Fleet in the Mediterranean before selection to graduate school in Monterey, CA.  Fred graduated from postgraduate school with a Master's Degree in Engineering Electronics in June 1956.  Following graduation, he served with ServPac in San Diego, CA, at the New York Naval Shipyard, on the Staff of CINCUSNAVEUR, with the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Dallas, TX and Northwest Cape, Australia and with Naval Systems Engineering Command in Washington, DC where he retired from the Navy in July 1968.

Civilian work took Fred to Syracuse, NY for three years before returning to the Naval Facilities Engineering Command in Arlington, VA where he finally retired in July 1987.  Just prior to his retirement, Fred attended and graduated from the Church Business Administrators course at the School of Theology, Emory University in Atlanta, GA.  Following retirement, he worked as a volunteer and Church Treasurer at St. Matthew's United Methodist Church, Bowie, MD.

Fred met his wife, Frances, in Washington in 1968.  They were married at the Naval Academy on July 16, 1969.   They resided in Fayetteville, NY and Upper Marlboro, MD until they moved to Hamilton in June of 1994. They have two children adopted from Vietnam, Christopher Jackson of Myrtle Beach, SC and Jennifer Braithwaite and a son-in-law, Jon Braithwaite of Martinsburg, WV.

Fred is survived by his loving wife of 47 years, Frances; his son, Christopher; his daughter and her husband, Jennifer and Jon; a cousin in Pennsylvania; two sisters-in-law, Virginia Caffin of Brantford, Ontario and Marilyn Rysztak of Canton, MI; brother-in-law, Lloyd Harmon of Campville, NY; along with several nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father, Frederick; his mother, Harriet; brothers, James and William; and a sister-in-law, Judith.

As a kid, Fred enjoyed his model railroad and, after retirement from the Navy, always "intended" to rebuild his layout. He never did. He also enjoyed his photography and his computer, the first one of which he owned, he built. His most active activities included working in his churches, where he served on many committees and as treasurer, and in the Order of the Eastern Star, where he served as Worthy Patron in Peace Chapter #116, Bowie, MD and again twice in Leona Chapter #31, Hamilton, MT.  In 1948 he joined Rising Star Lodge #47, AF&AM in Newmarket, NH, and moved his membership to Collington Lodge# 230 Bowie, MD in 1982 and is presently a member of Ionic Lodge #38, Hamilton, MT.  While living in Bowie, he joined the York Rite Bodies of Annapolis and, on his death, was a member of the York Rite Bodies of Hamilton serving as Secretary/Recorder for 18 years.

Memorial services will be held on Saturday, May 20, 2017 at 11:00 am at the Daly-Leach Chapel with Military Honors following.  There will be a reception following the services in the funeral home’s community room. 

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that memorials be made in Fred’s name to the Ionic Lodge #38 or to the Leona Chapter #31 both at the same address, 384 Eagle Lane, Corvallis, MT  59828.