Frederick "Fritz" Jackson

Born in Opelousas, Louisiana, Fritz lived his life the “Cajun” way, full of spice and zest. With Fritz, it was always an adventure – whether in the air, in the water, or on the ground. It is what made him such a great storyteller. He loved music, cooking, kayaking, high diving, golfing, playing hacky sack, snow skiing, mountain biking, and more. He was rarely still, and he took his family and friends along for the ride! However, if you knew Fritz, Skydiving is what defined him.

As a lifetime member of the United States Parachute Association, Fritz first jumped out of an airplane in 1963. 1,849 skydives later, you could find him constantly participating in Speed, Formation, and Accuracy skydiving competitions. He earned at least six Southwest Conference medals in style and accuracy including three Gold, one Silver, and two Bronze. He also won a USPA National Bronze medal and first place at the 1971 Z-Hills 10-man speed competition. Fritz is also featured in the Skydiving Hall of Fame for the first attempted "watermelon Pass" in the air.

Fritz had a work hard/play hard mentality. He went from working on oil rigs to selling medical equipment. When it came to his well-earned retirement, Fritz traded the sky for the water and built a house in Navarre, Florida where he proudly displayed the Native American Art that he would buy, sell or trade. On any given day, if Fritz wasn’t out on his kayak, you could find him listening to Zydeco music, walking his dog, cleaning his yard, caring for his bromeliads, and/or cooking a good meal.

Fritz loved to cook. But he wasn’t an ordinary cook. Fritz took pride in his recipe books and would note any changes he made to the recipes and signed off on them as if they were his own. He wanted to ensure he could pass those books down to his kids the right way. Every meal he cooked was made with the finest ingredients, even if he had to go market to market to find them. Whether it was his infamous peanut butter steak or mirliton casserole, Fritz always bragged that his leftovers were probably better than most people’s meals. And if you ate his meals, you knew it to be true!

Fritz never let go of his spirited youth and it made him fun to be around. His life was like the festivals he loved to attend, whether it be a parade, Mardi Gras, or musical festival. When you think of Fritz, always remember to live life to the fullest and be unapologetically yourself.

Fritz is survived by his children Nanette (Michael), RuthAnn, Jake (Stephanie), 6 grandchildren, 4 Great Grandchildren, former wife JoAnn, former wife Cathy, and his life-long friend and girlfriend Susan.

A celebration of life and skydiving “ash dive” will be planned for Fritz at a later date.