Jacqueline Michelle Williams

We are all deeply saddened by the recent loss of our precious Jackie. Jacqueline Michelle Sweeney was born to Patty Lindsay and Garry Sweeney on the evening of April 19, 1979. Jackie came into the world as a sweet, energetic young girl, who spent her days in pursuit of what many young girls do; dancing, playing, singing and bringing much love and joy to her parents, family and friends.

Jackie grew up in Fort Worth and attended Southwest High School, where she excelled as an award-winner member of the Southwest Showgirls dance team. After high school, Jackie chose to attend culinary school in Fort Worth, which led to her success in the restaurant business in Fort Worth. It also led to a young man who grew up in Lancaster, Texas, Chad Williams, who she met while they both worked at Charleston’s in Fort Worth. Their romance led to being married in March of 2006. Jackie and Chad completed one another in the best of ways. The light of their life, Ryder, recently turned three. Jackie also very bravely, and courageously, gave the gift of parenthood to two people, who embraced her gift with love, strength and compassion and have raised their son, Christopher Vecchio, into an outstanding young man.

What these things tell you is that Jackie was a woman of substance. Like all women of this nature, she was brave and courageous, blessed with imagination and intelligence. She was a woman who loved creating, who loved music, artistry, and knew that things like a great meal, or a great life, take work. And, more importantly, they take heart and soul. She had plenty of both. Jackie had her share of trials and difficult days. She also had a bright, glowing smile, stunning brown eyes and an easy laugh that filled any room with joy. Her training and experience in the culinary arts gave her the opportunity to excel at Reata, one of the most respected restaurants and catering suppliers in Fort Worth. She contributed to every aspect of Reata’s success and won constant praise for her effort and talents. Make no mistake, Jackie loved being a Foodie. To that end, she was a true gourmet - a masterful chef, who was blessed with the ability to turn common ingredients into a display of love and beauty that would nourish the heart and soul.

Her siblings, Caroline Elizabeth Sweeney, Sarah Sweeney Hernandez, and Will Sweeney were among her most cherished friends, and in many ways, co-conspirators, in mischief, adventure and life. She was a cherished daughter, a loyal friend, a loving and devoted mother and a beloved wife. Wherever she went, she made the world better and more enjoyable for everyone she was with. Jackie was the sun on your face, after a cold, cloudy day. She was like hearing a song you love suddenly come on the radio. Jackie was the kind of person who kept the friends she made as a young woman close, her entire life. Losing a friend or anyone you love is never easy or free of pain. You struggle for reasons why, and your heart aches for those who were close friends or family. The sudden loss of a young, beautiful woman, a young mother, is a particularly difficult kind of loss. You pray for the comfort and solace of her son, her husband, her parents, her family and her friends. Ultimately, we all will embrace her memory not unlike our reluctance to cast away the memories of a dream you had when you were young; a young girl aspiring to be a great ballet dancer, or a mother, a young man dreaming of being a great ball player or a heroic soldier. Ultimately, we find our heart still loving these things and refusing to let go of them, simply to embrace the pure joy she brought us all.