Obituary of Dr. John Fenwick Jackson

John Fenwick Jackson, M.D. The family of Dr. John Fenwick Jackson announce his passing on March 21, 2020, at age 91, after a lengthy struggle with heart failure. A native of Kosciusko, MS, John is preceded in death by his parents Jessie Fair Fenwick and Chatwin Mabry Jackson, Sr., brother Chatwin Mabry Jackson, Jr., sister-in-law Ann Howard Jackson, and son-in-law, Daniel Richard Stindt. He is survived by his wife Mary; three children: Karen Stindt of Fairwater WI, Marshall (Patti) Jackson of Gluckstadt MS, and Jean (Marion) Winkler of Redstone CO; grandchildren: Christopher (Anna) Stindt of La Crosse WI, Matthew (Chelsea) Stindt of Oshkosh WI, Melissa (fiancé Oliver Voegeli) of Milwaukee WI, and Hayden (Yesenia) Winkler of Yakima WA; great grandchildren Benjamin and Julianne Stindt of Lacrosse WI; nieces Sara Benvenuti and Dena Fair (Barrett) Daly both of New Orleans, LA, and nephew, Dr. Chatwin (Susan) Jackson of Fort Worth, TX. John was valedictorian of Kosciusko High School class of 1946 before receiving a B.A. in chemistry cum laude at the University of Mississippi. He earned his M.D. at Tulane University School of Medicine. He met Mary, his wife of 65 years, during an internship at Philadelphia General Hospital in Pennsylvania. John practiced general medicine in Minter City, MS and served as Captain in the US Army Medical Corps at Fort Lewis, WA. He received his Internal Medicine Residency training at University of Mississippi Medical Center (UMMC). While serving on the Tulane University School of Medicine New Orleans faculty, John traveled to Sweden with his family and participated in the institute for medical genetics at the University of Uppsala. He joined the Department of Preventive Medicine and the Department of Medicine at UMMC, where he served on faculty for 28 years including a sabbatical leave of service in the population genetics laboratory at the University of Hawaii. He was named chair of the Department of Preventive Medicine at UMMC in 1981 and served in that capacity until his retirement in 1992. A founding fellow of the American College of Medical Genetics, John authored or co-authored more than 100 scientific publications. He was a member of several national honorary societies: Alpha Epsilon Delta, Beta Beta Beta, Phi Eta Sigma, Pi Kappa Pi (University of Mississippi), and Alpha Omega Alpha (Tulane). He was the Tulane Medical alumni association's fifth annual Harold Cumming distinguished alumnus lecturer, a Laureate of the Mississippi chapter of the American College of Physicians and inducted into the University of Mississippi Medical alumni chapter Hall of Fame in 2015. John was awarded Mastership in the American College of Physicians in 2017 and received the UMMC Inspiration Award of the 2019 Pillars Recognition of Service and Inclusive Excellence. John was a life-long learner, a compassionate genetics counselor and a beloved teacher. His wearing of bow ties is fondly remembered. John's professional career is noteworthy; however, his varied talents and personal interests are remarkable. He crafted jewelry and furniture, and among his larger constructions were a Bartender boat on which he took his family out on the Ross Barnett Reservoir. John learned to fly on the GI bill and built a Rutan designed experimental aircraft, the VariEze, in the shop behind his home. He flew to the Bahamas with Mary, as well as to Ole Miss football games and to fish Canadian lakes. John enjoyed fine arts, studying watercolors with Elizabeth Sumrow in Koscuisko, MS and pastels and oils with John Wanamaker in Philadelphia, PA. These artistic talents surfaced many times throughout his life, and later, he studied plein air with Sammy Britt of Taylor, MS. Several of John's paintings were featured covers on medical professional journals. He often entertained his grandchildren carving sticks into creatures, and he took this passion to an award-winning level learning from Matthew Renna of Philadelphia, MS. John shaped birds, burned feather designs into the wood and expertly painted each feather. John's artwork was shown at the Jackson Gallery in Ridgeland, MS and was featured at a retrospective exhibit at The Cedars in Jackson, MS. An accomplished scientific writer, he turned his hand to fiction, self-publishing several novels, and many of his short stories are included in traditionally published anthologies. He had a love of music, in the band as well as band major both in high school and college. He thoroughly enjoyed kazoo and harmonica parades with his great grandchildren. Music was also a reoccurring theme in John's life as he learned to play banjo with Jason Smith and Tim Avalon. John delighted in constructing a balalaika, numerous gourd banjos and refurbishing banjos and mandolins. An outdoorsman, avid fisherman and hunter, he drew great pleasure from Walnut Creek, the family farm, fishing pond and airstrip. As he would joke, "Fishing is great, but catching is better." A true family man, summer vacations were fun-filled and always included visiting family, gathering scenic photographs to guide future paintings, experiencing life and retelling stories filled with laughter and love. John was a humble man treating all people equally well consistently. He respected and learned from everyone, regardless of age, intelligence, race or social standing. John will be missed by many. The family sincerely appreciates all the health care professionals who cared for John, especially Charlotte Moncure, Lowvonee Ross and Sonya Smith. Given current national health concerns, there will be no visitation and no service. Memorials may be sent to: Rowland Medical Library, University of Mississippi Medical Center, 2500 North State Street, Jackson, MS 39216.