Patricia "Pat" K. Jackson

LIBERTY - Patricia "Pat" Jackson, 81, passed away Saturday, April 25, 2026, at the Sussman House in Rockport, Maine, where she received visits from loving family and community members throughout her final days. The family is grateful for those visits as Pat's health declined, as well as for the many messages, phone calls, and prayers received during this time.
Pat was born on September 9, 1944, in Monroe to the late Thomas Lawrence Kenney and Edna Frances Riley. She was preceded in death by her siblings Tommy, Johnny, and Barbara Kenney. She is survived by her husband of 58 years, Bernard Jackson Jr.; her two children, Timothy Jackson and Cynthia Soule; her siblings Joyce Page, Linda Clifford, Nancy Harris, and Deborah Ellis; many nieces and nephews; and seven grandchildren whom she adored.
Patty, as she was known by her sisters, grew up in a family of nine in Northport. The children got along well and spent much time outdoors, where Patty's favorite activity was ice skating on the frog pond. From a young age, Patty loved to read. She was quiet, which didn't mean she had nothing to say, but rather that she was and always remained a great listener.
After graduating from Crosby High School in Belfast in 1962, Pat worked in Camden at Tibbetts Industries. It was there, in the autumn of 1965, that Bernie Jackson Jr. asked her to the Union Fair. The rest, as he says, was history. Pat Kenney became Pat Jackson, marrying Bernie on June 17, 1967. Over 58 years, they built a life of love and companionship centered on service to others and shared family time. Their early love was sustained by quiet moments playing cribbage to see who would do the dinner dishes, by being active members of their church, and by taking walks and camping in state parks across Maine.
As they transitioned into parenthood, their love was sustained by absolute devotion to Tim, to Cindy, to their nieces and nephews, to youth groups in church. Pat's calm, her patience, and her understanding of where her children erred made her a trusted mother. She quietly held them accountable, developing them into mature young adults who kept coming back to her as they built families of their own. For long years, Tim and Cindy went to their mother for counsel, for joy, for nourishment. She always bore witness to their joys, their sorrows, their life choices. They remember her as someone who always had an open door for their families, who always answeredtheir calls, and who was devoted to them and their families in all she did. They will remember retreats to Lake St. George, where life was always simpler and full of connection and family time- which is what Pat valued most in life.
Pat took great joy in being outdoors. As a parent, she and Bernie took the family to many spots around Maine. Each summer, Pat and Bernie took the kids to Bunganut Lake Campground, where family friends would join. Pat always stood in awe of wild spaces and wild animals, but mostly she just liked sitting around the campfire at night, or preparing dinner in the camper so that her family may sit together and enjoy each other's company.
Later in life, Pat and Bernie took a trip on their own, which Pat remembered fondly. They traveled for three months across the American west, visiting some of the most pristine wild spaces in the United States. Mama loved these places, but more than anything this time together rekindled a love between Pat and Bernie as they entered their final stage of life together.
As a young mother Pat stayed busy as a creative: she gave beautiful homemade gifts from her knitting, cross-stitching, sewing and basket-weaving projects. She was also an avid reader, always remaining open-minded in her reading, and loving the simple power of sitting quietly with a human story of love, of loss, and of resilience.
Each spring, Pat loved to get her hands in the soil. She planted peonies, tulips, and fuscia-filled hanging baskets. During walks in the woods, she'd point out the lady slippers. And each summer when the strawberries reddened, she'd go and pick them with Shelia Jackson. Pat often had church friends over for coffee and tea, and she loved the simple joys of playing card games like Canasta with friends and organizing "progressive potlucks" which brought her community closer together. She often would go out yard-saling on the weekends. Finding a good deal- the hunt of it all- enlivened Pat, but only because it provided another avenue for her love. Almost nothing else brought her greater joy than finding a good deal and giving a gift to her kids and grandkids, who each Christmas would give her a runway show of the new clothes she had gotten them.
Later in her life, Pat also frequently walked with her sister Joyce and her friends Hazel and Jeannette who shared in the comfort and joy of Pat's quiet, thoughtful presence.
For over twenty years Pat ran a daycare with friends in Yarmouth, where she helped nourish and develop hundreds of young children. She is remembered by the kids and their parents for her gentle care, always meeting children's needs and helping them continue to grow. Her love was for all, and she gave, gave, gave.
She also worked at Filene's and later at Kohls, where she is remembered for being sweet, kind and "the best colleague ever." Colleagues remember the way she supported them, a testament to how a shy woman of small stature brought love and left a positive, lasting impact on all the lives she touched. Even so, in all that she did, Pat ducked the spotlight, preferring instead to do the good work of community care because it was right. She was humble in all she did, and was a woman who had a very strong work ethic, something she instilled in her children and grandchildren.
To Pat, there was no greater value than family. This was visible in her love for her siblings, who often called each other and spent many holidays together over the years. As she raised her own kids, she also helped love and raise her nieces and nephews, which gave her great joy. Pat always treated them as her own. She and her children fondly remember organizing neighborhood sledding and skating parties, bringing festive cheer to an otherwise long, cold Maine winter. That was Pat: she brought warmth, connection and love wherever she went.
Later in life, she hosted family gatherings where her two children and seven grandchildren would visit their beautiful spot on Lake St. George. These times gave her immense joy, and in anticipation she'd stock the fridge with her grandchildren's favorite foods. When the grandkids were young, she'd splash around in the lake with them, and then later in life, she'd sit on the porch, smiling, watching them play their games. In between, she might play a game of marbles, or boggle, or three-thirteen. She quietly rejoiced whenever she won, and was a little louder when winning meant her husband Bernie lost; but this only brought laughter between the two of them, for over fifty-eight years they had played many games, and they were both winners in the family they collaborated to cultivate.
Pat's grandchildren and extended family remember her as a woman who gave generously. This was true not only in the material sense, when she'd tote in giant bags of gifts for each of her grandchildren, but more earnestly so in the amount of time and love Pat gave. They will remember and miss their Mama's blueberry pie, her "Scotties" (rice-krispy treat bars), and the certainty that going up to Mama's meant you'd get your favorite meal made for you. But Mama was also a confidante, and her grandkids are grateful for her constant sage advice and emotionalsupport as they endured the ups and downs of their young lives.
More than anything Pat's love was felt by all for the way she listened. Developing trust in Pat was easy, for in sharing with her, one always felt safe, respected, and heard. In a time when the world increasingly offers distractions, at a time when disrespect and close-mindedness have run rampant, Pat always walked the path of her values: kindness, family and love.
Family and friends are invited to Pat's Celebration of Life on Saturday, May 9, 2026 at 10:00 a.m. at the Palermo Christian Church, 322 Branch Mills Rd, Palermo.2d:{"dateTime":"2026-05-09T10:00:00","confidential":false}
2e:{"