The Excelsior Standard, Dec. 1, 2023

David Jackson

David Arwin Jackson, 93, of Excelsior Springs passed away peacefully Nov. 20, 2023, at his home, with his wife Sharon by his side. They married on March 27, 1990. David was born Feb. 5, 1930, to Arwin Jackson and Ruth (Nichols) Jackson. He lived near Leon, Kan., graduating from high school in nearby Augusta. He attended one year of college and then worked for Boeing.

In 1950, he was drafted into the U.S. Army, completing basic training in Hawaii and entering officer training school. He earned the rank of second lieutenant and was assigned to Camp Polk, La., to teach machine gunning.

After spending two-plus years with the Army, he came back to Kansas to enter the University of Kansas (KU). He earned his bachelor’s degree and focused on postgraduate degrees in psychology and social work, ultimately earning a doctorate in religious counseling.

David had a varied career, but he almost always worked with young people. He began his professional career working at Menninger’s, followed by the Tulsa and Fort Worth juvenile courts, the Boys & Girls Club, and KinderCare.

In the mid-1980s, he began working in advertising, producing a TV news guide in Tyler Texas. He moved back to Kansas when his sister became ill in 1987, continuing the work with the TV news guide there. A former KU classmate called and offered him a position in 1989 as assistant director at Jackson County Juvenile Court.

After retiring, he and Sharon moved to The Farm, where he had a 1939 Farmall tractor, cut wood for his wood-burning furnace, raised cattle (some were more like pets), gardened and enjoyed his grandchildren.

David was always an avid sports participant. After high school, he played on both baseball and basketball teams with players who remained lifetime friends. He began playing tennis during his Fort Worth and Tyler days, winning many amateur trophies. He also played golf until a few years ago, developing many friendships.

David was a dedicated supporter of Dr. William Glasser, the developer of Choice Theory, a psychology of personal freedom and personal responsibility. He achieved the level of senior faculty and liked nothing better than introducing and teaching those concepts.

David was preceded in death by his parents; two infant brothers; and his sister, Lynda Seward, in 1989.

Additional survivors include his daughter, Lisa (Wendell) Huffman; son, James (Amber) Jackson and grandchild, August; niece, Glynda Cary; and nephew, Gregg Gardner. Other survivors include many great-nieces and nephews; his stepdaughter, Lora Pieper, and grandchildren, Joe, Ben/Maisey, Anna and Sam; his great-granddaughter, Alette; his stepson, Doug/Ady Carder, and grandsons, Jack and Caden.

A celebration of life will take place Sunday, Dec. 3, at the Lakeview Event Center in Lawson. Family and friends are invited to visit and share stories from 2 to 4 p.m. Memories can be shared with the group at 3.