Valinda Jackson

Valinda Elliott Jackson, 76, of Wilson, N.C. died peacefully on Saturday, March 8, 2025 after many years of dealing with Alzheimer’s.

Dr. Chris Thomas will preside at a Celebration of Life Service to be held at First Baptist Church, Wilson, on Wednesday, March 12, 2025 at 10:00 AM followed by visitation in the church Fellowship Hall. Interment will follow the visitation at 3:00 p.m. in the Middleburg Town Cemetery, Middleburg, N.C.

Valinda was born in Oxford, NC to her loving parents, Joe and Judy Elliott. She was a graduate of Webb High School where during her Senior Year she was Head Majorette, Yearbook Editor and member of the National Honor Society. Following high school she graduated from East Carolina University with a degree in Elementary Education and served as President of Sigma Sigma Sigma Sorority. It was in college where she met Bruce, and after dating all through college, they were married in 1972. She taught school while living in Greenville, where they were blessed with their first child, Jill, in 1975.

She and Bruce embraced Wilson as their new home when moving here about 1978 and were thrilled with the birth of their son, Joe, in 1983. Valinda returned to teaching and fulfilled 30 years of teaching until retirement at Bailey Elementary School. She taught second and third grade and then specialized in teaching the Gifted and Talented children, as well as enrichment studies to the whole school community.

Valinda’s faith was very important to her and she practiced living a Christ-filled life everywhere she went. She acted as a mother as well as a teacher to her elementary students, a friend to everyone she met, and always tried living by the Golden Rule. She is survived by her husband, Bruce Jackson; daughter, Jill Wheeler (Jay) of Wilson; son, Joe Jackson (Kym) of Wilson; grandchildren, Jackson Wheeler, Elliott Wheeler, Lee Jackson, Walker Jackson, and Savannah Jackson; sister-in-law, Jane Thomas (Buck) of Southport; nieces, Amy Forbis (Aaron) of Clemmons, Carly Schilling (Walter) of Franklinton and nephew Tyler Thomas of Durham.

A special thank you to the wonderful staff at the Spring Arbor Cottage for their kindness and love shown in caring for Valinda for many years.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to First Baptist Church, PO Box 1467, Wilson, NC 27894.

Arrangements by Wilson Memorial Service, 2811 Fieldstream Dr. N, Wilson, (252) 237-7171, www.wilsonmemorialservice.com