Jerry King Jackson

Born on October 15, 1933 in Hendersonville, North Carolina to his mother, Madlin, and his father, Floyd Arthur Jackson, Jerry was always interested in the outdoors and took an interest in hobbies like shooting and fishing.

He married his wife, Florence “Tootsi” Grodski, on October 31, 1954, and they remained happily married for 61 years until her passing on December 22, 2015.

Jerry is survived by his three children, Debra, Kenneth and David. He was also known as “Grandpa” to his grandchildren, Christopher, Kenton, and Andrea.

He lived a full life dedicated to his family and career.

He proudly served his country in the United States Air Force from 1952 to 1956.

In 1965, he began his work with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA), and received a 30-Year Service Award in 1989. In 1994, Jerry retired, but only after acquiring a myriad of accolades for his service and contributions as Chief Pilot of Aircraft Operations where he operated and inspected airplanes and helicopters.

He was awarded a token of appreciation for contributing to several successful missions including the Space Shuttle “Columbia” (STS-2) in 1989. His motto, “If there’s a doubt—don’t go”, is responsible for keeping hundreds of people safe over the course of his career.

A memorial service will be held Tuesday, July 19, 2016 at 11 am in the Life Event Center at Florida Memorial, 5950 South US Highway 1, Rockledge, FL.

Staying true to his motto, he decided there wasn’t a doubt that he shouldn’t go, so he went—and he assumed his rightful place in the sky where he felt he always belonged anyway. He has gone to join his wife, Tootsi, in Heaven.