Reva Katherine (Sullivan) Jackson

A memorial service for Reva Katherine (Sullivan) Jackson, age 86, of Tyler, will be held at 10:00 a.m., on Monday, August 2, 2010, in the sanctuary of Marvin United Methodist Church, Tyler. Services will be conducted by Dr. Charles R. Millikan, son-in-law of the deceased, and Dr. John Robbins. The family will receive friends at a reception in Pirtle Hall of Marvin United Methodist Church immediately following the service. A private burial will be held at Jackson Family Cemetery under the direction of the Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Home in Lindale. Mrs. Jackson died on July 28, 2010, at the Colonial Nursing Center in Lindale after a long illness. Born May 25, 1924, in Hall, San Saba County, Texas, she was the youngest of six children of John Reeve Sullivan and Katy Patience (Templeton) Sullivan. She graduated from Richland Springs High School, San Saba County, Texas, as valedictorian of her class of forty-six seniors. Following graduation from high school in May 1941, Reva attended the University of Texas at Austin until she chose to interrupt her education to support the war effort after the Japanese attack on Pearl Harbor in December of that year. She spent the remainder of the war years as "Reva the Riveter," building military aircraft at the North American Aviation plant in Grand Prairie, Texas. Reva married her high school sweetheart and classmate, Jack Arland Jackson, on April 24, 1943, in San Saba, Texas, following his graduation from the U. S. Army Air Corps pilot training program. After four months of marriage, they were separated for twenty-two months during her husband's military service overseas in the European Theater of Operations. After the end of World War II, Reva obtained her secretarial certification from Nixon-Clay Commercial College, Austin, Texas. She then held secretarial positions with the American Red Cross and the Texas Employment Commission in Austin while her husband pursued his business and law degrees at UT. In 1955, Reva moved to Tyler, Texas, with her husband and three children. Shortly thereafter, they established their permanent residence in the Hopewell Community near Lindale. She took great pride in the fact that all three of her children also graduated as valedictorians of their respective classes from Lindale High School. In 1976, Reva passed the five tests for Certified Professional Secretary on the first try, a rare accomplishment. She later attended Tyler Junior College where she received her Associate of Arts degree. In the course of her employment in various petroleum-related positions in Tyler, Reva was active in and served as President of the local chapters of both the Professional Secretaries Association and the Desk and Derrick Association. Her other civic endeavors included service in various capacities including President of the Lindale Parent-Teacher Association, Den Mother to a Cub Scout pack, and sponsorship of the very active Hopewell Community 4-H Club. Over a period of more than 50 years as a member of Marvin United Methodist Church in Tyler and of the Crusaders Sunday School class, Reva taught numerous children's Sunday School classes, held various class offices, and worked in the church nursery and day school programs. Reva was preceded in death by her parents-her father when she was five years old-and by her three brothers and two sisters. She is survived by her husband of sixty-seven years, Jack Arland Jackson of Tyler; her daughter, Laura Millikan, and husband, Charles Millikan of Pearland, Texas; son, Alan R. Jackson, and wife, Mary Elizabeth Jackson, also of Tyler; son, Joel A. Jackson of Longview; as well as seven grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Pallbearers will be Kevin Millikan, Reeve Jackson, Brent Jackson, Wil Harper, Mark Latham, Scott Latham, and Sid Underwood. Visitation is scheduled for Sunday, August 1, 2010, from 5 to 7 p.m. at Caudle-Rutledge Funeral Home in Lindale. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials, if desired, be made to Marvin United Methodist Church Children's Ministries, 300 W. Erwin, Tyler, 75702; Hospice of East Texas, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, 75701; or a charity of choice.