Gloria Jackson's Obituary
Gloria Jackson, 86, recently passed away in Dallas, TX due to complications from COPD. Gloria was born and raised in Beaumont, TX, where her family had a lovely home in Calder Place. She enjoyed a happy childhood with her sister Jean and childhood friend Alice. Gloria graduated from Beaumont High and soon after attended North Texas State College (now UNT), graduating with a bachelor’s degree in advertising art. Returning to school once more, Gloria received a master’s degree in painting and art history from Texas Woman’s University in 1979. Interestingly, her master’s thesis, The Illustration of Three-Dimensional Space Through the Use of Color in Painting, is one of the few written works in the United States regarding the concept of ‘color space.’’ Gloria enjoyed a long and distinguished career in the arts that included modeling, fashion magazine illustration, copywriting, landscape and floral painting, as well as painting portraits in oil, (both as a commissioned artist and as a private teacher). Slides of Gloria’s artwork are represented in the National Museum of Women in the Arts (NMWA), in Washington, D.C. Later, as an art teacher for the DISD, Gloria firmly believed that each student possessed unique, innate talents and abilities, and as such, she honored and encouraged the creative process particular to each child, while at the same time cautioning parents and teachers against stifling, controlling, or unnaturally accelerating this process in the developing student. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Gloria had a quick mind, a wonderful sense of humor, and a refreshing sense of play. Her varied interests ranged from studying and greatly admiring the Bauhaus art movement to a love of jazz and classical music recordings. Gloria also enjoyed playing classical and jazz music on the piano. Preceded in death by her parents, E.W. and Bess Jackson, and sister, Jean Shurtleff. Survived by her loving daughter, Christine Cochran of far west Texas, nephew, Jerry Shurtleff and his wife, Kari, of Greenville, TX, cousin, Will Jackson, Jr. and his wife, Janice, of Dallas, TX Please join us as we honor Gloria’s life in this manner: Visitation: Friday, June 5, 2015 2:00pm, The Abbey Chapel, Restland Funeral Home. Service: Friday, June 5, 2015 3:00pm, also at The Abbey Chapel, Restland Funeral Home. Funeral arrangements have been entrusted to Restland Funeral Home and Memorial Park, 13005 Greenville Avenue, at Restland Road, Dallas, TX 75243.
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