Mary Griffith Jackson

Mary attended St. Ignatius Elementary School in Fort Worth, TX, and then Our Lady of Victory High School on scholarship. Following her graduation in 1958 she attended Loyola University of New Orleans for 2 years before transferring and earning a degree in Philosophy from Marquette University in Milwaukee in 1962.

Mary married William Duff Jackson on January 26, 1963, and had three children between ‘65 and ‘69. She continued her education, earning graduate degrees from Incarnate Word University ’76 (English) and UTSA ’88 (Counseling). Mary had a long career as an English Literature and Creative Writing educator, working at Ursuline Academy (‘70-‘72), Holy Cross High School (‘77-‘87), St. Mary’s University (‘88-2008), and enjoyed 2 semesters teaching in study abroad programs in London. She maintained her passion for reading throughout her retirement and was an active member of the Food for Thought Book Club and Boerne Public Library. Among her passions, she was a die-hard Spurs fan and pet lover. Over the years, she rode bikes, went for runs or hikes, enjoyed travelling and was a deeply devoted grandparent, spending time along the Texas coast and beaches or at her house in Boerne with her extended family. She loved dining out at restaurants, including Marcel’s in Port Aransas, Beef & Brew in Boerne, La Fonda and El Jarro in San Antonio.

Mary was a true advocate for the causes she believed in and was a member of or contributor to many charitable organizations, including Results, CARE, Southern Poverty Law Center, ACLU, Doctors Without Borders, PBS, NPR, and Friends of the Earth.

Mary is survived by husband, William Duff Jackson; sons, Stephen Fisher Jackson and James Griffith Jackson (Chris Tannehill); daughter, Celine Virginia Jackson (Jeremy Nelligan); granddaughters, Emma Christina Jackson (James Bergin), Natalie Michelle Jackson, Charlotte Anne Nelligan, and Juliet Michele Nelligan; grandsons, James Dominic Jackson and Grant Bradford Jackson; sister-in-law, Patricia Browning Griffith; and many nephews, nieces, their children, and also her friends. She was preceded in death by her grandson, William Blake Jackson, her parents, and her brothers Albert Joseph Griffith, Jr, and William Byron Griffith.

If you wish to make a memorial contribution, please consider a cause very important to Mary, the National Immigrant Justice Center (NIJC), https://immigrantjustice.salsalabs.org/donate-26/index.html