Marianne Vardaman Jackson

She was born on the 23rd of June 1960 in Austin, Texas and was adopted by her loving parents David and Elizabeth Vardaman at birth. She grew up in LaPlace, Louisiana before moving to Orange, Texas at age 13. She graduated from Little Cypress-Mauriceville High School in 1978. She attended Sam Houston State University and was a member of the Bearkats Marching Band. She transferred to Texas A&M and graduated with a Bachelor’s in Education in 1982.

Marianne worked as a legal assistant beginning in 1984, where she met her future husband, Bill Jackson in 1985. She moved to Austin, Texas to pursue her career, and upon returning to Houston in 1988 she and Bill began dating and married in 1990. Marianne obtained her Master’s in Psychology from the University of Houston - Clear Lake and worked for 25 years as a director, first at Bay Area Women’s Center and then at Baytown Homeless Services. After retiring, she returned to the legal field where she worked for three years at Jackson, Drews and Boanerges. She was a combination legal assistant, editor and confidant to her husband and to her friends at the firm.

Her compassion toward others was unending. She and Bill were blessed with the birth of their son William Ayres “Will” and treasured him for his 3 ½ years before his passing from leukemia in 1994.

Marianne became a lifelong advocate for charities, including the Leukemia Lymphoma Society, as well as numerous charities associated with animal rescues. This led to fund raising through Team in Training where she participated in numerous marathons in London, San Diego, Anchorage, Disney World, Bath, UK and Houston. She described her style as a run/walk for 26 miles. For 35 years her home was filled with dachshunds, her four-legged babies who shared her every day. Marianne loved spending time with her friends from high school who she kept in contact with over the decades. The center of her world was the love of her life, her husband Bill, with whom she shared everything that life brought. To her friends and family, she was the central optimist, the person who gently asked all about their lives. She rejoiced with their triumphs and empathized with those who experienced dark times. Her giving spirit was a fixed point in a changing world, which remains with everyone she touched.

Her passions included her travels to her beloved England for over 30 years, where she and Bill, along with other family members, made endless memories. To Marianne, every day was a new adventure, which she said presented an opportunity to make someone or something better. She loved her travels throughout America and Europe but always rejoiced in returning to her home in Taylor Lake Village and to the house she chose, and where she and Bill lived for 26 years.

Marianne is survived by her husband of thirty-six years, Bill Jackson. She is also survived by her mother, Elizabeth Vardaman and her brother, Michael Vardaman along with her sister of choice Deanna Shurtleff. Marianne is survived by sister-in-law, Debbie Goleff and husband Greg Goleff, her sister-in-law, Cathy Baird and husband Tom Baird. She is also survived by her nephews, Doug Sandlin and wife Christie Sandlin, David Baird and wife Jeneil Baird, and niece Amanda Maynard and husband Bryan Maynard. She is also survived by numerous cousins, great nephews and nieces. She is preceded in death by her son William Ayres Jackson and her father David Vardaman.

Those honored to serve as pallbearers are Doug Sandli, David Baird, Jackson Sandlin, Bryan Maynard, Wyatt Prejean, and Shon Prejean.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Marianne from five o’clock in the afternoon until eight o’clock in the evening on Monday, the 31st of August, in the library and grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A Celebration of Marianne’s Life is to be conducted at ten o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, the 1st of September, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston, where Pastor Karen Wilheim and Pastor Bob Dees are to officiate.

The graveside service is to follow at half past two o’clock in the afternoon at Orange Forest Lawn Cemetery, 2312 Irving Street in West Orange, Texas. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception at 501 Pine Street, Orange, Texas.

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