Charles 'Wilson' Jackson

Newton /
| 11 May 2020 | 11:19

Charles “Wilson” Jackson of Cranford, N.J., died of complications from COVID-19 on Saturday, May 2, at Sycamore Rehabilitation and Assisted Living in East Hanover. He was 92.

Son of the late Charles W. Jackson, II and Dorothy Isabel (Rawlings) Jackson, he was born Nov. 22, 1927, in Newark, N.J. Wilson grew up in Kearny, N.J., then lived in Elizabeth, N.J., Rahway, N.J., and Westfield, N.J., before moving to Bristol Glen in Newton, N.J., in 2001. In August 2019 he moved to Atria of Cranford.

He proudly served in the U.S. Army at the end of World War II and was recalled two years later for the Korean Conflict. Wilson received his bachelor of science degree from the College of New Jersey in 1953 and his master’s plus 30 in education administration from Rutgers. He was an elementary school principal for the Westfield Board of Education for over 30 years before his retirement in 1988.

A life member of NEA and NJEA, Wilson was also a member of the NJ Elementary Principals Association and the NJ School Masters Association. He served as president of the NJ Council of Education, the Westfield Historical Society, and the Westfield Day Care Center. Wilson served as president of the Kiwanis Club of Westfield and was also a member of the Scotch Plains Kiwanis Club. He was an active member of the First United Methodist Churches in Westfield and Newton.

Wilson was also predeceased by his wife, Virginia Ann (Mastenbrook) Jackson, on Aug. 17, 2013; and his sister, Mary Jane (Jackson) Schmidt. He is survived by his children, Dr. Charles W. Jackson IV and wife, Mary Kay, of Houston, Texas, and Mary-Lou Jackson of Scotch Plains, N.J.; grandsons, Dr. Charles W. Jackson V of Hampton, Va., and Kenneth B. Jackson of Saint Petersburg, Fla.; and brother, Robert R. Jackson and wife, Juliann, of Bronxville, N.Y.; plus three nieces and a nephew.

Arrangements for a celebration of Wilson’s life at FUMC Westfield are pending and will be announced at a later date. Memorial donations may be made to Bristol Glen Fellowship Fund, 200 Bristol Glen Drive, Newton, NJ 07860.