Albert "Sonny" Joseph Jackson

Albert “Sonny” Joseph Jackson was born in 1926 in Birmingham, Alabama. Al was the oldest of 13 children. His father, Dan Joseph Jackson, was a cement finisher and worked for the government for 20 years. His mother, Olga Jackson, was part Creek Indian and part African-American and kept busy taking care of her very large family.

in 1946, after living in Birmingham and then in Chicago for some time, Al moved west to Seattle on the recommendation of his aunt who lived there. Two years later, Al married and the following year has a son named Alfonso. In 1952, Al joined the Marine Corps and served 8 years before his honorable discharge. Much of his first four years in the Corps was spent at bases in the Caribbean Islands and during that time he was the Battalion barber. He had to make sure each Marine’s cut met Corps requirements and did it all with hand clippers. He even cut his own hair by hand until the very end!

In 1960, he went to work for the US Government at the Seattle VA, where he worked in security until retiring in 1977. Al moved to Northaven in the late-nineties and even used his own car to provide medical transportation for residents before we got the Ruthie Van.

In addition to keeping busy with part-time work, he also loved to travel. He visited Europe, South America, North Africa, and 49 of the 50 United States. The only state he did not visit was Alaska, although that was next on his list. Four years ago, Al went to Egypt with his sister and brother-in-law where he rode horses around the Great Pyramids. Why a horse instead of a camel? The horses smelled a whole lot better!

Al was well loved by everyone. He will truly be missed by all who knew him, including residents he befriended for some 30 years.

Al is pre-deceased in death by his mother, father, three sisters, and three brothers. He leaves behind his surviving siblings - two sisters and four brothers, many nieces, cousins, his Chicago family, and many friends.