Robert Blake Jackson

Robert Blake Jackson, 89, passed away peacefully at his Woodbury home on February 12th.

A Gentleman and a Scholar. He was born to Blake Smith and Fred Wilhelmina Welz on Veteran's Day, November 11, 1926 in Hartford, CT. He graduated from Williston Academy in 1944 where 'Jack became known as a mystic who could pull rabbits out of empty hats. He's quiet on the campus, but in the dorm he really goes to town.' He was drafted into the Army from the Freshman Class of Amherst College and returned as a veteran on the G.I. Bill to complete his studies for a degree in psychology. A member of Phi Delta Theta, he graduated in 1950.

A Bibliophile, Book Collector, and Librarian. Working at Johnson's Bookstore in Springfield, MA from 1950-52 led him to pursue a Master of Library Science Degree from Columbia University in 1953. At the East Orange Public Library from 1953-1966, he was Head of Community Services, Head of Adult Services at the Main Branch and promoted to Coordinator of Adult Services for the entire system. He also taught courses in speed reading and the Great Books. Writing reviews for the Library Journal led him to co-author an automobile book with Beman Lord and begin his writing career with the Henry Z. Walk Publishing Company. He became a published author of more than 40 books (many still on Amazon.com) on Juvenile Sports and Auto Literature.
He was a member of the Woodbury Library Board in 1972 and 1973 and a lifetime member of
The Author's Guild, Inc.

A Veteran, Radio Operator, and Disc-Jockey. Infantry Sargent, he sailed the Atlantic in a troop ship and crossed France in a boxcar to serve with the Armed Forces Network in Frankfurt where he hosted a radio program from 1944-46. He was a Ham radio operator and still remembered Morse code signals.

A Magician and Magic Collector, Train Buff, Sports-Car Enthusiast and Photographer. The summer after college, he toured the Catskills with L. Raymond Cox and His 'Merry Magical Mysteries' and enjoyed the resort cuisine. He was an IBM (International Brotherhood of Magicians) and SAM (Society of American Magicians) member. The proud owner of an MG-TC and many other sports cars, he illustrated his car books with his own photographs. He regularly attended and photographed races at Lime Rock as well as at other New England race courses. He was in the pits and at trackside at many Grand Prix automobile events at Watkins Glen where he photographed famous race car drivers.

He was the devoted husband of Marcella (Marcy) Jackson and is survived by relatives in CT, MA, NY, VT, MD, TX, WA and OR.

Memorials: In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Regional Hospice and Home Care of Western CT, 30 Milestone Rd. Danbury, CT 06810,the Danbury Hospital 24 Hospital Ave. Danbury, Ct 06810 or the American Heart Association, 5 Brookside Dr. Wallingford, Ct 06492.

Cemetery: Cemetery Not Applicable

Location: Munson-Lovetere Woodbury

Services: Visitation will be held on Saturday, February 20th from 11 a.m. to be followed by a 1 p.m. service at the Munson-Lovetere Funeral Home, 2 School Street Woodbury, CT (203) 263-2146. Burial will take place in Mt. Hope Cemetery, MA at a later date.

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