Jetran Jawn Peoples – Jackson, affectionately known by family as ‘Jawn’, and by friends as ‘Jet’, earned her eternal rest, and transitioned peacefully at home on February 17, 2020.
Born on March 13, 1957 to Johnel and Elizabeth Peoples, Jawn almost instantly began her life of service as the second oldest of seven children. She often shared stories with her own children of helping her mother with cooking and cleaning, mending clothes, and reviewing report cards for her younger siblings.
Jawn delighted in each of the special relationships that she developed with her brothers and sisters and took great pride in being a source of strength, love and constant reassurance in their lives.
She knew that her calling was to teach and guide those around her, and later committed to answering that call by pursuing a career in education. Jawn received her Bachelor’s degree in Special Education from Old Dominion University. She dedicated nearly 35 combined years of service as a Special Education teacher with Eastern State Hospital, Less Secure Detention Center and, most recently, Phoebus High School. Even after retiring in July of 2019, Jawn remained a teacher at heart and was always available to help students, and people, succeed through mentoring, a timely word of encouragement, or a warm hug. She simply loved helping people and pouring everything that she had into them.
Perhaps the greatest testament of Jawn’s faithfulness and selflessness was the love that she had for God and her family. She prayed without ceasing over the lives of her husband of 29 years, Phillip, and her two daughters, Lauran and Kaela. Jawn devoted her life to loving and caring for Phillip, and found joy in the simple pleasures that they shared together, like the nice hot cup of coffee that he had waiting for her every day when she came home from school, or preparing feeders together for the hummingbirds that would often visit their home. Jawn would often say that she and her oldest daughter, Lauran, “grew up together”, and she loved Lauran’s quiet but willful spirit. Jawn had a particularly special and intrinsic bond with her youngest daughter, Kaela, and together they shared a love of nature, rare stones and jewelry.
Anchored in Christ, Jawn lived every single day of her life in service to others, remaining faithful and obedient in the promises that she made to God, and being comforted by the promises that He made to her. She loved the little things, like cooking, buying snacks for her students, tending to her garden and plants, beading, spending time with her church family, and reading her daily devotional. Even after receiving a devastating cancer diagnosis in 2016 with a life expectancy of less than two months, Jawn stood firmly in her faith, armored herself in the full Word of God and for the next three and a half years offered herself as a living testimony of the restoring, unyielding, powerful and absolute love of God. Jawn called on the Lord, and simply would not let go until He blessed her soul. Praise be to God.
Blessed to continue her spirit of service, and legacy of unconditional love, Jawn is survived by her husband, Phillip Francis Jackson, Jr., her daughters, Lauran Peoples and Kaela Jackson, and her siblings, Nick Matthews (Carol), Jo Anne Marshall (Sterling), Annette Peoples, Johnel Richard Peoples, Jr., Malissia Peoples, and Jacqueline “Penny” Peoples-Butts (Sean). Also left to cherish her memory and kindness are her nieces, Nicole Matthews, Tiffany Jones, Janelle Peoples, Taylor Ocasio, Brianna Sewell, and Alexandria Butts; her nephews, Nicholas Matthews, Johnel Peoples, Mycheal Peoples, and Miles Hawkins, great-nephews Taishaun Causby, Michael Peoples and Kaiden Johnson, and great-niece Charlee Peoples.
A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at 10am on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at First Baptist Church of Hampton in the Patterson-Gaines Memorial Chapel at 229 N. King Street, Hampton, Virginia 23669. A repast for family and close friends will follow at Branches of the Vine Community Church at 2171 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, Virginia, 23666.
Our family would like to extend heartfelt gratitude to Pastor Marsay Winder and Branches of the Vine Community Church for being Jawn’s family in Christ and praying with, for, and over her. We’d also like to thank Dr. Craig Franzman, Dr. Dean Kostov and Dr. Linda Schneider for providing such compassionate care.
A Celebration of Life Memorial will be held at 10am on Saturday, February 29, 2020 at First Baptist Church of Hampton in the Patterson-Gaines Memorial Chapel at 229 N. King Street, Hampton, Virginia 23669. A repast for family and close friends will follow at Branches of the Vine Community Church at 2171 Cunningham Drive, Hampton, Virginia, 23666.
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