ug. 30, 1936 – Oct. 12, 2011

NATCHEZ — Services for Theodore R. “Teddy” Jackson, 75, of Vidalia, who died Wednesday, Oct. 12, 2011, at University Medical Center in Jackson, will be at 10 a.m. today at Parkway Baptist Church with the Rev. Jeff Brewer officiating.

Burial will follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park Cemetery under the direction of Laird Funeral Home.

Visitation will be from 9 a.m. until service time today at the church.

Teddy was born Aug. 30, 1936, in Amite County, the son of James Bryant and Nina Rollins Jackson and was one of 10 children. He was a graduate of Washington High School in Washington and volunteered to serve in the U.S. Navy from 1954 to 1957, during which time he was stationed in Normand, Okla. He was a longtime employee of the Natchez public school system serving as director of transportation. He retired with 28 years of service to the school district. He often recounted fond memories of his colleagues in the school district, particularly the bus drivers and maintenance workers.

After retirement, Teddy enjoyed a life filled with camping trips, motorcycle riding, lawn/garden work and extensive travel. Over the past few years, Teddy and his wife, Ethyl, traveled to all 50 states. Weekends would often find the couple countryside hunting antiques or as Teddy like to say, ”treasure hunting.” Teddy was passionate about the outdoors and was an avid hunter and fisherman with a tremendous love of the outdoors.

Teddy’s legacy will be filled with respect and deep friendships. He will be remembered as a hard worker with almost no task too tough to tackle, as a compassionate man always willing to help others — especially those that would never be able to pay him back — as someone always up for having a good time, and most importantly, as an incredible father. His parenting days were filled with days at racing tracks, teaching his daughters to hunt and fish and instilling in his children and grandchildren the value of hard work and family loyalties.

He was preceded in death by three sisters, Jackie Bennett, Faye Whittington and Rae Netherland; and two brothers, Carey Jackson and Aubrey Jackson.

Survivors include his wife; three children, Stephanie McCormick and husband, Ed, of Union Church, Kim Anders and husband, Rusty, of Natchez and Valerie Ward and husband, Victor, of Mount Olive; his children’s mother, Fern Jensen; Ethyl’s children, Sandra Reed and husband, Ed, of Long Beach and Steve Lane of Tallahassee; seven grandchildren, Austin, Zachary and Kyle McCormick, Jacob and Teddi Anders, Alex and Amanda Ward; four brothers, J.B. Jackson, Hansel Jackson, Clark Jackson and E.M. Jackson, all of Natchez; Ethyl’s grandchildren, Laney and Wynn; and very special camping friends, Huey and Linda Martin, George and Joy McFarland, Jack and Sally Ellis and Ronny and Jean Smith.

Pallbearers will be Jacob Anders, Alex Ward, Kyle McCormick, Zachary McCormick, Austin McCormick, Dale Jackson, Clark Jackson Jr. and Wynn Reed.

Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Wednesday lunch bunch of which Teddy was a faithful member, Butch Thornhill, Huey Martin and Speedy Wilson. The group gathered for lunch for more than 25 years — rarely missing a Wednesday. The late Larry Burton and the late Elbert Martin were also members of the group.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the “passenger van fund” at Parkway Baptist Church.

Online condolences may be sent to www.lairdfh.com.