Jackolyn Marie Glisson

Jackolyn “Jackie” Glisson of Carolina Beach, North Carolina and Lake Wales, Florida answered her saviour’s call on July 2, 2017 in Carolina Beach and passed eagerly into His loving arms and those of her mother Marie who waited so patiently for her for so long.

Jackie was born in Warsaw, N.C. on September 21, 1937 the daughter of Marvin Marie West Glisson and Jack Vinson Glisson who predeceased her. She was the granddaughter of the late Annie Corbett Tate West and Marvin Corbett West of Warsaw, North Carolina, and the late Rosalie (Rosa) Daniels Glisson and Dan Glisson of Goldsboro, North Carolina.

She is survived by several cousins including Lee Davenport, his wife Martha, and their children of Walhalla, South Carolina; Millie Sue Davenport of Walhalla, South Carolina; Clara Margaret Daniels Johnson of Goldsboro, North Carolina; Mary Royce Byrd Ellis of Blowing Rock, North Carolina, and Dorothy Ann Byrd Miller of Fayetteville, North Carolina. Jackie is also survived by her good and loving friends John and Wanda Keiser of Lake Wales, Florida, Margie Eaves O’Brien and Julia Maupin of Versailles, Kentucky as well as her many friends and supporters during the years that she lived in Lake Kissimmee MHP.

Jackie began her education at the age of four when she entered private kindergarten in Warsaw, North Carolina; when she was five years old she entered Warsaw Grammar School and at the insistence of her “Gramma” Glisson stopped off at the local piano teacher’s home to take piano lessons before reporting to Miss Julia Sandlin’s first grade classroom. Jackie and her parents moved to Wilmington in 1950 and to Harbor Island, now part of Wrightsville Beach, in 1953. The family was active in establishing Wrightsville Beach United Methodist Church under the guidance of Ernest Smotherman and Jackie served as a president of the MYF and often taught the Men’s Sunday School Class. Jackie graduated from New Hanover High School in 1955. That fall she entered Guilford College in Greensboro, North Carolina and graduated in 1959. While at Guilford, Jackie majored in English; she served as teaching assistant to English Department Chair Dr. Phillip Furnas grading papers and sometimes teaching classes for him and tutoring students for the English Department. She enjoyed working on the college newspaper The Guilfordian and participating in various clubs especially the International Relations Club where she came to know so many wonderful students from so many countries. She was also honored to receive a scholarship from the College. After graduating from Guilford College, Jackie began teaching in the public schools of North Carolina. Her first assignment was in Mill Spring High School in the mountains of North Carolina where she taught ninth, tenth, eleventh, and twelfth grade English to five classes of thirty plus students! Later she taught in Duplin and Wayne Counties before finding her true niche in Burgaw High School in the Pender County town of Burgaw, North Carolina. No town and no school could ever have been more welcoming and more supportive of new teachers. Jackie remained in Burgaw and Pender County for the remaining years of her career – more than thirty – moving on to Pender High School after Burgaw High School was maliciously burned to the ground by local arsonists. Jackie served as chairperson of the English Departments in Mill Spring High School, Burgaw High School, and Pender High School. She was Senior Class Sponsor and Coordinator of Graduation, advisor to the newspaper, yearbook, and Pep Club, and director of the Senior Class Play in Burgaw High School. Among other things, she was Senior Class Sponsor, Graduation Coordinator, and the Beta Club Advisor in Pender High School. She was a member of NCEA, NCAE, Classroom Teachers’ Association, and the North Carolina English Teachers’ Association.

Jackie was a member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church in Carolina

Beach where she taught Sunday School under Superintendent Bob Norton, sang in the choir, served as Chairperson of the Finance Committee, served on the Pastor-Parish Relations Committee and the Administrative Board and was for a term secretary to the Administrative Board. Jackie was a charter member of Federal Point Chapter 361 Order of the Eastern Star and served in the position of Sentinel for several years. She was also a member and officer of the Fort Fisher Chapter of the UDC. Jackie was appointed to the Carolina Beach Library Board of Trustees by the Carolina Beach Town Council and served as its secretary until the Board was dissolved in 1979 after Jackie and her good friend Blanche Tucker persuaded the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners to make the Carolina Beach Library the first branch library of what was to become the New Hanover County Library System. Shortly thereafter, the New Hanover County Board of Commissioners appointed Jackie to the New Hanover County Library Board; Jackie completed the term of a Board member who had resigned and served two more terms. In her first year she cast the deciding vote in favor of hiring David Paynter to be the Library Director thus ensuring the installation of the first computer system in the Library.

Jackie served as the Chairperson of Federal Point Democratic Precinct for more than twenty years and served as a member of the New Hanover County Democratic Executive Committee all those years as well as a member of the North Carolina Democratic Executive Committee during Governor Jim Hunt’s tenure. Jackie served as chairperson of the Democratic Party’s Down ‘Easter twice and chaired more Campaign Kick-Off Breakfasts and Campaign Debate Forums than she could probably count. She served on Congressman Charlie Rose’s Seventh District Committee numerous times as well. She also chaired Eugene Merritt’s successful campaign for the NC House in the southern part of New Hanover County. She was named Democrat of the Year in 1992 and given a beautiful clock to commemorate the occasion. In recent years Jackie has served as President of the Lake Kissimmee Homeowners’ Association in Lake Wales, Florida, where she has lived in retirement.

A memorial service will be held at a later date to be determined.

Condolences to the family may be offered at www.coblewardsmithwilmington.com