Take a few minutes to get acquainted with Mary Alice, a former Centennial Rotary Club President and one of the true mainstays of our Club. Whenever there is a job that needs doing, you can bet that Mary Alice will raise her hand. Here's what you should know about her…
Mary Alice was born and raised in Topeka, KS and received her bachelor’s degree from Kansas State University. She taught for Jefferson County Schools in Arvada for 3 years, married Charlie Jackson, and moved to Waianae, Hawaii, living there for only 4 months before the 25th Division left for Viet Nam. She returned to Topeka and taught for the second half of the year.
She and Charlie then had 3 years at Fort Sill, OK where their son Wayne was born before Charlie left for his second tour in Viet Nam. Mary Alice & Wayne went to Topeka until Charlie returned and they all moved to Colorado for one year. During their next tour of duty in New Jersey, their daughter Jill was born. and for those next 14 years, they had 4 more changes of station.
During the 5 year stay at Ft. Leavenworth Mary Alice found her passion for volunteer work. She directed the year-long craft making and sale to benefit the Ft. Leavenworth Museum, coached the swim team, taught an aerobic dance class, and worked part-time for the Command and General Staff School as a lecturer and facilitator for Command Team Training. This was a class all officers, taking command of a Battalion or above, had to attend with their wives. Charlie retired in 1984 and the family moved to Duncanville, TX.
Mary Alice taught ESL for 1 year and 2nd grade for the next 11 years. She continued her life of volunteering, serving as president of the Duncanville Women’s League, The Duncanville Regional Arts Association, & the ESA service club. She was on the Duncanville Board of Adjustments, chairing it for one term, chaired the fundraiser for the Duncanville School District Foundation, and was a charter member of the Dallas County Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club.
She and Charlie have been married 56 years and have 2 grandchildren (Zaida and Callahan) and one wonderful collie Bodie.
After moving to Colorado in 2007, she & Charlie joined the CentennialRotary Club where her passion turned to Prime Timers.
She and Charlie have been married 56 years and have 2 grandchildren (Zaida and Callahan) and one wonderful collie Bodie.
In her spare time, she loves to play golf and pickleball, hike, train her dog. and read.
A favorite teaching memory was taking her class to the zoo. They had just walked a short way when one little girl ran up terrified and buried her head
in Mary Alice’s skirt saying, “Mrs. Jackson, Mrs. Jackson, there’s a dinosaur in here!” The dinosaur turned out to be a rhinoceros.