In Memory of
Daniel Baxter Jackson Jr. 1949 - 2013
Daniel B. Jackson Jr. Obituary
Date of Birth: Thursday, March 10th, 1949
Date of Death: Thursday, February 21st, 2013
Obituary for Daniel Baxter Jackson Jr.
Dan Jackson, aged 63, passed away Thursday, February 21st after a
long heroic battle against Multiple Sclerosis (MS). He was born to the late Dee
Ann (Sykes) Jackson and D. Baxter Jackson on March 10, 1949, in Corpus Christi.
He was a loving son, husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle, as well
as a friend to many. As a youth he was a pitcher in Little League and Pony
League baseball, and went on to surf the waves of Padre Island down to Mexico
in Mazatlan and Bali. He enjoyed hunting, fishing and any outdoor activity
before he became disabled. He served his country with honor as a dog handler
with the United States Marine Corps in Viet Nam where he earned a Purple Heart
among other awards. After he returned from Viet Nam, he earned an Associate's
Degree in Fine Arts from Del Mar College. He was later accepted into the
University of Iowa Fiction Writer's Workshop, but decided not to pursue a career in
writing because he did his best writing when he was miserable, and he chose to
live a happy life.
He began a 30 year career in the oil field as a mud logger and
mud engineer at Baroid, and retired at age 50 as a drilling superintendent of
ARCO International. Dan's work took him to many exotic and interesting locations
including Indonesia, United Kingdom, Singapore, Algeria, China, Mozambique,
Ethiopia, Eritria and Zanzibar. He loved to travel and enjoyed experiencing the
new and different cuisines and cultures of places he worked and visited. After
retiring he volunteered at the Food Pantry at All Saints' Episcopal
Church, and was a board member of the Food Bank of Corpus Christi.
Dan is survived by his devoted wife of 30 years Rebecca (Becky)
Elzner, two sons Drew (Calesta) of Helena, Montana, and Baxter (Hadeel) of
United Arab Emirates, and his daughter Julianna from Gainesville, Texas, as
well as three granddaughters Kirsten and Camryn Jackson and Ava Blaskovich. He
is also survived by a sister Sally L. Daly and her children John Daly (Shelley
Donahue) and Jennifer (Mike) Garcia, and many nieces and nephews. He will be
deeply missed by all who knew and loved him.
Dan's soul mate was his wife Becky. Together they explored many foreign countries, cultures, and adventures. As his infirmity increased, he relied on Becky more each day as she became his strength, encouragement, and love. Special thanks to Odyssey Hospice, Patsy Phillips, Emilina, and Anna for their help and loving kindness in his final months. A Memorial Service will be celebrated at All Saints Episcopal Church at 11:00 am Monday, February 25, 2013. In lieu of flowers donations can be made to the MS Society or the charity of your choice.
I contact you in regards to my father, Daniel Jackson Jr. He was a Great Dad and
Marine! We lost him February 21, 2013 after a long battle with M.S. He was a Marine Scout Dog Handler in Vietnam in 1968. His first dog was AGO-0H28 (KIA). His second
dog was GIDEON-969X. I know very little of his service as it was not a subject he spoke of
often. If I can help with more info and pictures of "Pop", please let me know. Also, I'm
looking for pictures of him in Vietnam as well as any info.
Any help would be great!
Frederick Jackson
