Roosevelt Jackson

Roosevelt Jackson was born December 17, 1943, and went to sleep December 10, 2025. Roosevelt was the first son and the fifth of Sam and Riferlee Jackson’s 10 seeds of love. Both parents and siblings, Dorothy Smith, Mary Barlow, Rowena Dixon, James Jackson and Melvin Jackson, preceded him in death.

Born and raised in Chicago, IL, Roosevelt was a former featherweight boxer and a melodious tenor for street-corner quartets. He was drafted into the army soon after graduating high school, and honorably served in the Army, Air Force, and Marines. Upon returning home from Vietnam he lived homeless for more than 30 years on Chicago’s Skid Row.

Leaving cherished memories of his giving spirit, kindness, and wise examples of living in self-truth is daughter, Olecia Kyle; 3 granddaughters; 6 great-grandchildren (Chicago, IL); siblings Ann Jackson (Chicago, IL), Patricia Jackson (Chicago, IL), Shirley Willis (Lansing, MI), Sam (Nati) Jackson (Erie, PA); and many nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends.