Robert Leroy "Bob" Jackson

Robert LeRoy Jackson, 90, of Blair, NE, Middlesboro, KY and residing in Moneta, VA passed away peacefully Tuesday morning August 3, 2021. He and his wife Betty (Elizabeth) shared 69 loving years of marriage. Born in Townsend, MT on a horse ranch, Bob was the son of the late George Nelson and the late Jeanette (Wilderson) Jackson. His daughters Sherre and Sandy moved Bob and Betty from Bloomington, IN  to VA seven months ago because of his failing health and concern Covid wouldn’t allow them to be near their parents in assisted living when Bobs time on earth came to an end. He had been in Hospice care since November 2019.

Bob grew up in Blair, NE. Entrepreneurial at an early age he had two paper routes, then worked at Safeway Foods.  He played the Coronet in the band. His Uncle Chris Bendorf,  who owned a funeral home, pulled him from class to play Taps for military funerals. Bob was gifted, by his Uncle Bill Wilderson, his senior year of high school at Wentworth Military Academy, Lexington, MO which prepared him for a military career.  He graduated at age 16, enlisting August 18, 1947, 8 days after his 17th birthday in the US Air Force.  Bob was enticed that they would pay for college and provide a lifetime pension. But his dream was to learn to fly planes. His administrator personality and typing skills served him well in Personnel. He met Betty at a spaghetti dinner at the firehouse near Selfridge Airbase, Harrison, MI and six weeks later shipped out to Misawa, Japan arriving there the day the Korean War started June 25, 1950. Bob was an excellent poker player and won a Jeep. Before returning stateside, he sold it and purchased at the base PX, a wedding ring set. Arriving in CA, he called Betty in MI and asked her to meet him in Blair to meet his parents. He proposed, she accepted. They married at Camp Stoneman, CA in the base chapel in November 1951.  Betty will tell you she “wooed him by mail”. Daughter Sherre was born while stationed in Seattle in 1954. As a Technical Sargent he graduated Officers Candidate School in December 1955, was promoted to Lieutenant,  completed jet pilot training in Feb 1957 in Bryan, TX. A two year tour in England followed where Sandy was born.  During his career, Bob flew the T- 38 Talon, the F-100 Super Sabre, then F-105 Thunderchief.  He received The Air Force Commendation Medal in 1960 for meritorious service, graduated from the University of Colorado, Boulder with a BS in Finance in 1963. Captain Jackson spent six weeks in Vietnam, flew 11 combat missions in an F-105.  On his first mission April 12, 1965 after two F-105s ahead of him had been downed trying to knock out a bridge in Vinh (28 previous attempts had been made), he connected with the target downing it under intense fire. He knocked down two additional bridges that day and received an Air Medal for aerial flight.  The award was given in August 1965 at his last assignment Spangdahlem AFB, Germany where he retired after 20 years, August 31, 1967. Bob loved being a Fighter Pilot and flew 2360 hours in his military career.  The family had been moved over twenty times.

Bob began a civilian career in sales at age 37 with the Lincoln Electric Co, Cleveland, OH, spending a year learning the welding business and quickly rose to top salesman category. In 1973, he was hired as President of Oxygen of KY in Pineville, KY moving to Middlesboro, KY. The business provided gases for welding and welding supplies for mining/equipment repairs as well as medical oxygen to individuals in rural Appalachia. When Bendix Corporation invented a Home Oxygen Concentrator, Bob and Betty purchased their first six machines and started Home Oxygen Service. These machines replaced the need for twice weekly deliveries of oxygen cylinders. Betty ran the business  eventually servicing over 60 patients machines.   Bob replaced sieve beds and did the billing on an Apple 64 computer.  Bob left Oxygen of KY and purchased a similar company in Wise, VA, Oxygen of VA. He sold it and retired in 1986.  After 40 years in Middlesboro, Bob and Betty moved to Louisville to be near family in 2013 then moved to Bloomington, IN in 2019.

Bob loved to fly. He was President of the Middlesboro Airport Board for several years acquiring grants to improve the facility. He and Betty traveled extensively in their Cherokee Piper Cub until it was destroyed in the Middlesboro tornado May 9, 1988. He replaced it with a Cessna 210 and when his hearing deteriorated, he sold the plane and bought an RV. They traveled to Alaska, Mexico, NE Canada, and throughout the US often with grandchildren in tow.  They camped at Powell Valley Marina on Lake Norris, TN enjoying long weekends and pontooning. Upon retirement, they traveled Florida during the winter settling on a Gulf Coast campground at Indian Rocks Beach then later in IRB Travel Park in Largo. Bob was renowned for his campground Bisquick pancake breakfasts and the tales he told Evan Williams in hand. Bob asked for two eggs over easy, pork fat, and hash browns for breakfast every morning and loved fried chicken. He loved watching football, had Bengals tickets for years, and baseball.  He porch sat for hours thinking about business and enjoying being outside. In his early years he enjoyed fishing and hunting. But business and making money was his passion and he was a risk taker!  He taught his girls to play out the “what if’s” and told them if they could live with the consequences to go for it. He grew up with nothing in the Depression and never wanted his family members to go without. He encouraged and supported their education.

Bob was a faithful and loving husband.  He is survived by his wife Betty (Eck) Jackson, his daughters Sherre M Jackson (Walter C Haycock) and Sandra J Smiley (formerly of Louisville, KY and Bloomington, IN) of Moneta, VA; grandchildren Chelsea Fithian Fuller (Brian) of Westerville, OH, Ben Fithian (Kristen) of Gahanna, OH, Dr. Kate Smiley (Clint Buffington) of Bloomington, IN and Claire Smiley Peck (Robert) of Perry, MI  and two step grandchildren Heather Haycock of Chaplin, CT and Walter R Haycock of Brooksville, FL; great grandchildren Owen and Colin Fuller, Gabrielle, Aubrey and Olivia Fithian, Viviane and Forest Buffington, nephew Wayne (Trish) Stork of Elkhorn, NE and Carolyn (Dave) Stork Neef of Bennington, NE. Bob was predeceased by an infant brother George, his parents George and Jeanette Jackson, sister Norma Jean and brother in law Milo Stork, and niece Diana Stork Klanderud and nephew Richard Stork.

Bob’s cremains will be partially scattered in Herman, NE at the graves of his parents (with gravesite service and military honors) and the remainder at the graves of Betty’s parents in Noblesville, IN at a future date.  Sherre and Sandy are eternally grateful for Centra Hospice as well as Ashley Grubb, PCT, friends, neighbors and family (especially Sherre’s husband Walter) who have been so caring, loving and supportive during this long journey. Donations in his memory may be made to Centra Hospice, the Alzheimer’s Association or a charity of your choice. Written condolences mailed to 240 Pine Knob Cir, Moneta, VA 24121. Arrangements by Flora Funeral Service and Cremation Center, Rocky Mount – Smith Mountain Lake.