Ramona "Jackie" Jacqueline Charles Harper

Jackie was born in Blackberry City, West Virginia on 5 December 1938 and grew up in the mountains of Mingo Country, WV. She lived in Red Jacket, WV until age 16 and has lived in Hampton, Virginia off and on since then. She married Jesse Harper on 26 June 1960 at Fort Monroe, VA. Together, they have four children, five grandchildren and three great-grandchildren. Jackie spent time in Germany and France with her husband, who served in the U.S. Army. Preceded in death include brothers-Elmo Jr., Gary and Dan. Sisters-Lois Smallwood, Cheryl Charles, Joyce Atkins, and Georgia Lee. Survivors include brothers-Donald Charles, Croton, OH. Randall Charles, Centersburg, OH. Sisters-Charlene Ferguson, Chilicothe, OH, and Rhonda Dillon, Red Jacket, WV. Mom, Jackie, or Grandma; whatever you are called, when you looked in those blue eyes you looked at absolute dedication and determination. She was a great cook. Daughter Angel said her magical homemade soup probably saved her life during chemotherapy. Still, every call to dinner included, “hope you can eat it.” She never tired of making sure Jay and dad were eating right and that they had “took their pills”. She kept a spotless house, and everyone knew when it was raining. You came in through the garage. She was always reading a book and passed that love of reading on to others. She still loved a good romance novel along with her daily “stories”. A couple of years ago, on Mom and Dad’s anniversary, she pulled Jessica aside to say she was wearing a new dress, but dad didn’t notice. That was after more than sixty years of marriage! She loved music and singing. She learned to play the guitar and even wrote some songs. She had a green thumb and always had houseplants. Often sharing clippings and making sure her plants were still being watered. She found joy in the simple things; flowers, birds, taking a walk, and sitting in the sunshine in her backyard. Spending time with her grandkids and great grandkids was her favorite. She was the definition of a matriarch, always making sure her family was well taken care of. Her loss to our family is Heaven’s gain. She will be sorely missed. A public visitation for Jackie will be held Saturday, April 20, 2024 from 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Parklawn-Wood Funeral Home & Memorial Park, 2551 North Armistead Ave, Hampton, Virginia 23666. Following the public visitation will be a celebration of life graveside service at 1:00 PM at Parklawn Memorial Park, 2551 North Armistead Ave, Hampton, Virginia 23666. The family invites friends to make memorial contributions to the Lupus Foundation of America.