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Mary Emily Platt Jackson
November 2, 1921 - December 11, 2010
Mary Emily Platt Jackson, wife of the late Nelson Jackson III, of Ocean Lakes Campground, died Saturday, December 11, 2010 at her residence.
She was born and raised in Conway, S.C., the daughter of the late Mary Cornelia Dusenbury and Dr. Vivian Francis Platt.
She graduated from Conway High School before attending Converse College. She graduated from Converse in 1942 with a degree in Voice Performance. She married the love of her life, Nelson Jackson III, on June 2, 1942. Their devotion to one another was the foundation to nearly 68 years of marriage.
In 1970 Mr. and Mrs. Jackson moved to Myrtle Beach to develop the world renowned Ocean Lakes Family Campground, which opened on July 2, 1971, with thirty campsites and one bathhouse. Since that time, she and her family built The Jackson Companies into a diversified business enterprise comprised of Ocean Lakes Family Campground, Prestwick Golf & Country Club, Ocean Lakes Properties, Sunway Charters and Tours, Crystal Lake Mobile Home Village, Ocean Lakes RV Center and the master-planned development SayeBrook.
She was very active in her community, serving on numerous civic boards and organizations. She served in numerous leadership roles with the Peter Horry Chapter of DAR, Chicora Chapter Colonial Dames, Archibald Rutledge Club, Horry County Historical Society, First Presbyterian Women, Friends of Brookgreen Gardens, Long Bay Symphony Board and the Franklin G. Burroughs-Simeon B. Chapin Art Museum Board.
Mrs. Jackson received numerous honors for her service to the community and the state of South Carolina. She and Mr. Jackson shared many accolades together as their partnership impacted the lives of thousands. They were named the 2001 Citizen(s) of the Year by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce; they each received the Order of the Palmetto from Governor Sanford in 2004; the South Carolina House of Representatives named them the District 107 Distinguished Citizens of the Year and designated June 2, 2006 as "Mary Emily and Nelson Jackson Day" in South Carolina; and were both awarded the 2007 Ashby Ward Pioneer(s) of the Year by the Myrtle Beach Area Chamber of Commerce.
Mrs. Jackson's love for God, her husband and her family were first and foremost. Her passion for music and the arts brought joy and happiness to countless others. She leaves a legacy of goodness, kindness, love and compassion. She will be missed but we know she is united with Nelson now and in a far better place. |