Jacqueline Mary Flowers

Jackie (Jacqueline) Flowers, died on Friday, October 18, 2024 with family members at her side. She is survived by her daughters Terry Yamamoto-Edwards (Chris) of Hawaii and Portland, Amy Blackburn (Jeff) of California, step-sons Jim Flowers (Cathy) of Hot Springs, Jeff Flowers (Julie) of Arkansas; grandchildren Kyle Flowers (Megan), Emily Gwyn (Josiah), Jackie Jo Blackburn (Brent) Mortenson, Jamie Blackburn, Khalil Edwards (Markeya Nardini) and Noah Edwards; great grand-children Oscar and Crosby Flowers, Enoch Gwyn, Harper and Luke Mortenson, Anwar Nardini Edwards; and her beloved dog Belinda. She was predeceased by her husband James, first husband Dr. Rio Yamamoto, infant Yamamoto, grandchild Sean Flowers, and her parents Clyde and Mary Broadbent.

Jackie was born in Pennsylvania, educated in McKeesport (PA) and graduated from McKeesport’s school of nursing. She led double careers throughout her life in Nursing and Music. She attended Penn State University, University of Pittsburgh, and has degrees from Santa Rosa Junior College, St. Mary’s College, Columbia Pacific University, and Sonoma State University. Her degrees spanned the fields of nursing, general education, Health Services Administration, Music, Counseling, and a PH.D in Nursing Administration and Gerontology.

In nursing, Jackie worked in diverse specialties throughout her career, from obstetrics and medical office manager, to nursing faculty and nursing administration. She held several Director of Nursing Positions in California and Arkansas, worked in intensive care nursery, ICU, med-surg, orthopedics, home health, hospice, long-term care and was a supervisor with the Area Agency on Aging. She taught in the RN program at Garland County Community College (National Park College). She retired from St. Joseph’s Hospital and worked another 11 years as a program developer, supervisor and instructor at Canyon Springs Health and Rehab in Hot Springs. She developed the Arkansas Information and Referral Center for Parkinson’s Disease and, after retiring, cared for her husband who had Parkinson’s Disease.

In music, Jackie played flute and piccolo in symphonic and marching bands, orchestras, woodwind quintets, chamber orchestras, and Baroque ensembles. She was Principal Flute in the Pennsylvania All-State Band, played piccolo in the Pittsburgh Symphony Youth Orchestra, and was principal flute in the Fullerton State College Orchestra, the William Hall Chorale Orchestra, Chapman College Orchestra, the South Coast Light Opera Orchestra, Bellflower Symphony, Long Beach/ Orange County Doctor’s Symphony, Sonoma State University Orchestra, Vallejo Symphony, Napa Symphony, and the Baroque Sinfonia of Santa Rosa, which she co-founded with her husband. In 1970, she was the flute soloist for the Los Angeles Doctors’ Symphony and toured Israel, Greece, and Turkey. She co-founded the Hot Springs Flute Ensemble in1983 and this became one of the most important features of the last 40 years of her life. Playing alongside her oboist husband, Jim, she also mastered the Baroque Flute and was a member of Baroque Ensembles in Santa Rosa, and Hot Springs. She played in the South Arkansas Symphony, Pine Bluff Symphony, Hot Springs/ Arkadelphia Chamber Orchestra, and the Hot Springs Community Band.

Jackie taught music (flute and piano) privately and through National Park College, where she also taught Music Appreciation, Public School Music, Music Reminiscence Therapy, Aging in America, and Death and Dying, which she also taught at UALR. Additionally, she was an adjunct flute instructor at Ouachita Baptist University. Jackie was a dedicated participant in the annual National Flute Association conventions, making musician friends throughout the country and world.

She was a member of the National Flute Association, McKeesport Hospital Nurses’ Alumnae, Westminster Presbyterian Church, the John Percifull Chapter of the Daughters’ of the American Revolution, Sigma Alpha Iota Music Fraternity and the Hot Springs Music Club.

Jackie’s hobbies included designing costumes in authentic 18th century style for her Baroque Ensembles, decorating the soundboards of harpsichords (which her husband built) with authentic 18th century floral painting, playing other flutes including Native American, fife, historic flutes, tin whistle, and alto and bass flutes. She collected thousands of flute figurines over the years and likely has one of the most extensive personal collections in the country!

Jackie requested that memorial donations be made to the Hot Springs Flute Ensemble, Inc. (P.O. Box 212227, Hot Springs 71903). Before she passed, Jackie established an Endowment for the group to perpetuate their programs.

A Memorial Services will be held in the Fellowship Hall of Westminster Presbyterian Church on Saturday, November 9, at 11:00 am with a reception following the service. We hope to have the service live-streamed at:” You Tube Chip Hatcher”. Interment will be in the church Columbarium, beside her husband Jim. Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.GrossFuneralHome.com for the Flowers family.