On Monday, February 20, 2023, Pocahontas Jackson, loving wife and mother, passed away at the age of 100. Pocahontas was born on April 8, 1922, in Brooklyn, NY to William Johnson, a police officer, and Maud Morris, a dancer at the Cotton Club in New York City. Both died early in her life, so Pocahontas and her two older sisters, Sylvia and Gloria, moved to Hopewell Junction, where they were raised by their grandparents on a farm on Route 82. She also had an older brother, John Turner.
After attending the Little Red Schoolhouse and Beacon High School, Pocahontas worked at Bobrich and Chempreme, from which she retired in 1990. She ended her career as a school bus monitor for the Beacon City School District from 1992 to 2017, and generations of Beacon schoolchildren will recall beginning and ending their days with “Miss Pokey.”
Pocahontas will be remembered by friends and family for her laugh, love of song, and dedication to watching her “stories.” She will be missed by the congregation of St. Andrew’s Episcopal Church in Beacon, where she was a faithful member for nearly 70 years. Beacon, as a whole, will be a less vibrant place without her colorful fashion and, on Sundays, collection of matching hats.
Pocahontas was preceded in death by her husband, Douglas, two of her children, Robert Pulliam and Gloria Reed and her great, great grandson Roman Haffley. She is survived by her three children, Barbara, Douglas Jr. (Michele) and Kim. She also has 8 grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, and four great-great-grandchildren.
Celebration of Life Ceremony will be held on Monday, March 6, 2023 at 1pm at St. Andrew Episcopal Church 15 South Avenue, Beacon, NY 12508. As this is a celebration, floral and colorful clothing is encouraged to be worn if you feel comfortable doing so.
In lieu of flowers the family asks that you please donate towards memorial plants to be planted in the spring. Those donations can be sent to Douglas Jackson at 5 Lamplight Street, Beacon, NY 12508.