MARK STEPHEN JACKSON

Mark Stephen Jackson passed from this life on June 30, 2020 at the age of 70. He was born on March 8, 1950 in Pound, VA. He was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and friend.
Mark will always be remembered as a unique individual and a stand out from the crowd. In his younger years, he was often seen cruising around town on his unicycle - sometimes while juggling which always evoked a sense of joy to those around him.

Music was his passion in life having been in several bands through the years dating all the way back to his teens where he was drum major at Pound Highschool. His favorite instrument was the guitar and he enjoyed playing both acoustic and bass. He loved to play anything Beatles and to serenade the room.

After finishing high school, Mark set out to venture around the country with no plan and only a few dollars in his pocket and the charm of his tongue. He first landed in Hawaii, quickly got a job, and stayed several months to explore before he headed back to Virginia to settle down.

After a few years back in Pound, Mark’s transient spirit drove him to Atlanta, GA where he lived several years with his first wife and raised his four children. After a brief second marriage, Mark met and fell in love with his third wife, Ruth. They set off on a journey around the country bouncing between the Southeast, Southwest, and the Pacific Northwest before finally settling in Clearwater, FL in their forever home.

Mark always had an adventurous spirit having visited the vast majority of the states in the US. Mark could be a quiet introvert at times or knocking on doors and talking with complete strangers while working as a traveling salesman. Through his life he was a very hard worker having tried his hand at many diverse professions. He learned the fundamentals of the manual trades from his father, who was a carpenter. It was through this foundation that Mark became a skilled craftsman and artisan, largely self-taught.

Mark was meticulous in his craftsmanship and considered himself a Jack of all trades ranging from building his own furniture, crafting homemade candles, and inventing many of his own creations, all of which worked to supplement his adventurous lifestyle through both local market sales and self-built online businesses.

Mark was a true entrepreneur in his spirit. Although Mark was not classically educated after high school, he was an astute intellect - a self-taught scholar in theology, politics, music history, and botany among many others areas of intellectual pursuit. He loved to debate and educate and often thought of himself as both a student of life and a teacher, always in search of knowledge and personal growth. When Mark finally retired, he spent countless hours exercising his green thumb, showcased by a plethora of plants that flourished under his care including his giant elephant ears that became the focal point of his neighborhood. Mark lived a full life with no regrets.

Mark was the son of the late Ferrell “Fletch” and Margaret Bolling Jackson. Mark is preceded in death by his brother Robert Franklin “Frank” and sister-in-law, Angela Fleming Jackson.

He is survived by his loving wife of 19 years Ruth Naomi Goshorn Jackson, his former wife Jane Stephens Jackson, and their four children Jesse Stephen Jackson, Shana Nicole Dolan and husband Michael, Carmen Jackson Hagen and husband Bradley, and Luke Fletcher Jackson. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Francis Alderson and husband Roger, Katherine Lucille Jackson Stallard and husband Les, and five grandchildren, Jonah, Charles, Thomas, Ella, and James as well as many extended family members. Mark will be dearly missed and forever in our hearts.