This gentleman was local and we got such a kick out of his obit. What a guy! Like others have said, I wish I could have known him.
Here's a follow up from our local newspaper's online version:
http://lancasteronline.com/article/local/858032_Who-was-Jack-Holden--Meet-the-man-behind-the-self-written-obituary-that-went-viral.html
Thanks for posting the link Glenn, that was a good read; what an amazing man.
I don't read OB, but after seeing a large funeral in our small county we opened the weekly paper to find an elderly lady of an old family name, had passed. Under her OB was this well written notice, I would have liked to have met this elderly gentleman also.
As a 22-year U.S. Air Force veteran, Mr. Jackson loved and served his country proudly. After retirement, he and his wife, Mae, lived in Saudi Arabia for several years and took the opportunity while there to travel to India, Kenya, and other exotic places. Later, he journeyed solo through Europe on his “European Odyssey” before returning home.
Well-read and widely traveled, Mr. Jackson collected a plethora of fascinating and entertaining tales from his experiences, which he loved to share. He had an insatiable curiosity of the world around him. He loved classical music, astronomy, gardening, and, above all, reading. A favorite quote he carried with him summed up his passion for reading and exploration: “The most pragmatic reason for improving one’s mind is that this is the place where one increasingly lives as one grows older. As external pleasures diminish with age, a sparsely furnished mind becomes a prison cell when it should be a lounge, a library and a balcony upon the world.” — unknown He will be deeply missed by his wife of 58 years, Ella Mae; his daughter, Ginger Concepcion (Tom); sister, BJ Long; brother, Harry Jackson; and countless nieces, nephews, and friends.
“There are better things ahead than any we leave behind.” — C.S. Lewis Tu quoque viator.
