Philip Gail Jackson, 92, passed peacefully on December 13, 2018. He was born in Odin, Illinois on November 16, 1926 to Jerry and Dorothy Jackson. He moved to Paris in 1942, graduated from Paris High School, and joined the US Navy at 17, serving two years in World War II. He graduated from the University of Kentucky in 1950 with a degree in electrical engineering and was employed at the Lexington Blue Grass Army Depot for 32 years where he held positions as Chief Engineering Division and Director of Quality Assurance.
During the cold war era, he carried a top secret clearance and participated in projects at the White House, Camp David, the emergency relocation facility for congress and the homes of former presidents Johnson, Nixon, Ford and Carter.
Philip was a member of First Christian Church of Paris since 1943 serving as elder and deacon. After retirement, he worked over 20 years as a volunteer in the AARP Tax Aide Program and served on the Board of Directors of the Paris Housing Authority from 1984 to 2011.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Lee, two daughters, Karen (Stanley) Linville and Kathy (Mike) Lovell; four grandchildren, Ashley (Sam) Norris, Adam (Kalyn) Linville, Brandon (Claire) Lovell, and Amanda Lovell; and two great grandchildren, Jackson and Caroline Norris. He is also survived by three sisters, Janice Boyd, Sharon Wagoner and Brenda Sommers, a brother-in-law, James McFarland and a sister-in-law, Bonnie Jackson. He was preceded in death by three brothers, Keith, Ronald and Jim and one sister, Jerry Ann McFarland.
The funeral service for Philip Gail Jackson will be on Monday, December 17, 2018 at First Christian Church at 11:00 a.m. with burial to follow in Evergreen Memory Gardens. Visitation will be on Sunday, December 16, 2018 between 5:30 p.m. – 8:00 p.m. at Hinton Turner Funeral Home. In lieu of flowers, contributions are suggested to First Christian Church Capital Campaign. www.hintonturner.com