Jackie was born in Edinburgh Scotland on August 14, 1945. She was raised by her mother, Jean Blackie Ritchie, in an area of the city known as Parkhead Loan. At age 14, she started working to support the family. Along with her brother, Alec, and her mother, the trio banded together to make a life in the working class neighborhood. At 15, she was the eastern district champion of the Scottish women’s amateur athletic championship for the 70-yard hurdles. In 1967, she began working at the Uniroyal Factory in Fountainbridge where she met the love of her life, John. They soon became inseparable and when John moved to the US for his career in 1968, she decided to follow. Leaving Scotland for the US in 1969, she married John in Garfield, New Jersey on June 10,1970.
Jackie spent the next 35 years living in Singapore, Hong Kong and Jakarta raising two sons in a home filled with love. Her photo albums record years of adventurous travel throughout the world with her family with trips to Africa, Europe, Central America, Australia and Asia. On a trip to Alaska to celebrate her 70th birthday she took a helicopter to a glacier, flew on a seaplane and traveled by sled dog. In 2014, Jackie became a US citizen, which strengthened her patriotic spirit and love for both Texas and the United States.
Jackie’s first passion was her family and pictures of them adorn every space in her home. She was also always on the lookout for a deal, an avid bargain hunter that filled her home with items from around the world. However, her children and grandchildren were her most important treasures.
She was a consummate entertainer and homemaker. Her quick wit and humor were often the center of the party. She was an amazing cook, loved dancing with John and enjoyed playing Scrabble, Words with Friends and cribbage.
She is survived by her husband John, her two sons - Jason (Angie) and Ben (Tania), and her grandchildren John, Rowan, Ty and Dash.
A celebration of life will be held at Restoration Church in Montgomery on December 11, 2021, at 1pm with a reception following at The Club at Carlton Woods in the Woodlands.
In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to MD Anderson Cancer center: https://www.mdanderson.org/donors-volunteers/donate.html
Restoration Church – 107 Fish Creek Throughfare, Montgomery, TX 77316
The Club at Carlton Woods – 1 Carlton Woods Drive, The Woodlands, TX 77382
