John Marcus Jackson Jr.

John M. Jackson, Jr. age 90, passed away on April 18, 2026, in San Antonio, TX after a short illness. Born on November 20, 1935, in Seattle, WA, to parents Dorothy Merrick and John M. Jackson, Sr. John attended St. Joseph Grade School, Queen Anne High School and graduated from Ballard High School. John’s life was one of service and hard work. He began delivering newspapers and groceries on his bike up and down the hills of Seattle from age 10. At age 17 he became a co-op student, working evenings at Boeing Aircraft while attending high school during the day.

John enlisted in the United States Coast Guard Reserve while still in high school. Upon graduation he and his best friend Mark Mitchell entered active duty in the United States Coast Guard. John served during the Korean War, a chapter of his life marked by youthful escapades but a firm sense of duty and steadfast commitment to his country and service. He achieved the rank of Petty Officer and served heroically as a helmsman on air/sea rescue missions on several vessels, most notably the USCGC Northwind. While on active duty he also earned a Bachelor’s degree at the University of Wisconsin via the military correspondence program, reflecting a respect for learning and a quiet determination to build a life of purpose. He often bragged to his wife that he was one of the original “distance learners”.

In 1954 John was released from active duty and placed on reserve status, but he carried the Coast Guard motto of Semper Peratus (Always Ready) throughout his life. He pursued a career in the appliance and electronics industry working for Gerke’s appliance in Seattle, Gibson Manufacturing in Greenville, Michigan, the San Antonio Branch of Quaser Electronics (Mashusta Corporation,) and Fedders Air Conditioning. Driven by his strong work ethic he labored relentlessly, traveling extensively throughout North America, Asia and Europe in sales and subsequently executive positions. He embraced innovation, bringing the first microwave to San Antonio in the 1970’s! He delighted in investigating each new or improved electronic device (flat screen TV’s, appliances, mobile phones, -he just bought the latest iPhone) and would immediately show others (friends or perfect strangers) the newest features!

For the last 30 years of his career John served as the executive director of the Independent Distributor Association, a group of appliance and electronic distributors throughout North America. He retired at age 85, after working non-stop for 70 years.

In June of 1987, the intervention of a caring business associate helped John reach a turning point in his life. He confronted his alcoholism, entered treatment, and transformed his life. He chose the path of recovery through Alcoholics Anonymous and re-channeled his forceful energy towards staying sober and helping others achieve sobriety. He focused on making amends for any pain he had caused others while caught in his disease. He didn’t just quit drinking, he started living, spending the last 39 years dedicated to service and serenity. John’s impact on others was deep and memorable. He sponsored at least 100 men in AA over the years, who in turn sponsored others, therefore helping to save the lives of 1000’s.

John married his wife Mary Agnes "Aggie" Manwell-Jackson, on May 15th, 1996. They spent 30 years as a blissfully happy team, traveling through the US and Canada for IDA with the Beck (Houston) and Keller (Oklahoma City) families and for Aggie’s professional meetings with friends Mary and Dennis Jacks. John was by Aggie’s side as she studied for her PhD, receiving a special duplicate diploma in gratitude for his support. They hosted regular gatherings for friends and their huge extended family, loved ‘game nights’, and walking the beaches of Northern Michigan. He remained a brother, father and grandfather figure to countless men and women in and out of recovery.

John believed in the premises of “Pass it on” and “Pay it Forward” in all phases of his life. Early in his sobriety he took recovery meetings to Charter Real Hospital and helped start an outreach program at University Hospital passing out his card with “Call Anytime” wherever he went. He then served on the boards and in leadership positions for the San Antonio Council on Alcohol and Drug Abuse, LifeTime Recovery (formerly The ARK) and the AA Central Service office of San Antonio. He was especially humbled in his committee role for the 2010 AA International Convention in San Antonio (50,000 attendees) and was asked to chair one of the breakout meetings for over 600 attendees. In 2016 he was asked by University Hospital to be featured in a public service announcement on alcoholism in their series Real Men wear Gowns.

John was a natural leader and eagerly served for many years as the head of the Pastoral Council of St. Gregory the Great Catholic Church, and the HOA boards of the Fountains Condominiums and Mission Trace communities. John and Aggie moved to their Forever Home in 2010. His next-door neighbor said, “When John and Aggie moved here, we were houses on a cul de sac - John helped us become a community!” John always waved during their morning walks, helped others, stopped for short chats and hosted neighborhood gatherings. Recently, he and his wife have been active in Friends of Hospice which funds hospice care for those with no health insurance.

Throughout his life John was blessed with a steady presence of friends because he was a good friend. He continued carrying the recovery message even after his first heart attack last December. He spoke about the disease of addiction with every doctor, nurse and caregiver, and in his last months continued to meet with “his guys’. In his last few hours John was cared for by the marvelous team of Methodist Transplant Hospital and was surrounded by his wife Aggie and loving friends: Jim and Virginia Burke, Mathew and Nathalie Kapturczak, David (Bo) and Roxy Beaudet, Jose and Kim Hinojosa, Ben Sifuentes Jr., Ron and Ashley Askew, Wanda and Steve Edlund, John E., Jim R, Jim D., and Nicki T. Prayer circles across the country sustained all of us as John walked his last walk.

John was preceded in death by his parents John M. Jackson and mother Dorothy Merrick, his step-father Frank Elliot, his sisters, Joan Helgeson and Dorothy Lynch, and brothers-in-law Terry and Jim Manwell.

He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Aggie; children Marc (Veronique) and Shelley, their mother Sharon Fasilis, Grandchildren Jeremy and Alexandra and great grandchildren Liam and Luke. He loved being “Uncle John” to his extended family: Theresa (Terry) Wiest, Cindy Freeman, Todd Lynch and grand-niece Hayley and grand-nephew Preston. He adored his in-laws, whom he gleefully termed “outlaws”: Sisters-in-law, Kathy Manwell, Anne Manwell, and brother in law Johnny Manwell, He delightedly watched video’s of niece Colleen (Sam) Rudman, and her children Winston, Margo and Olivia, nephew Alex Manwell, nephew Paul (Jen) Manwell, and their daughters Adeline & Sophie, and Kate (Quest) Fanning, and their daughter Franny, and all the Golibarts, especially Debbie, Frank, Jeffrey and Renata Pascoe.

A Celebration of Life Service will be held on Saturday, May 30, 2026, at 2:00 p.m., at Porter-Loring Mortuary North, 2102 N Loop 1604 E, San Antonio, TX. Visitation will precede the service from 1-2 pm. The service will be streamed at TBD.

In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the AA Central Service office aasanantonio.org or Friends of Hospice of San Antonio at https://friendsofhospicesa.org/site/