Rickey Jackson Obituary (1956 - 2022) - Upper Marlboro, Maryland

Rickey Anderson Jackson was an only child, born on March 4, 1956, in Louisa, Virginia, to the late Dorothy “Dot” Jackson Pervall. Rickey and his mother later moved to Landover Hills, Maryland, where he was raised. His love for his mother was nothing short of amazing. They were very close and spent plenty of time together until her passing on March 5, 2003, while residing in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. Rickey was educated in the Prince George’s County Public School system and graduated from Fairmont Heights High School in 1975, where he played football and met his cheerleader/future wife. In 1984, Rickey married Sharlene (Shar) Grimes, and from this union, two children were born, Natasha Sharlene (Tasha) and Tamisha Camille (Mitchi). They resided in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. After High School, Rickey attended Bowie State University. His interest in criminal justice in the earlier years, led him to the field of security and protective services and then Maryland State Trooper. In 1981, Rickey decided to change his career path, and he applied and became employed with the United States Postal Service. His first assignment was in Facilities at Pointer Ridge Post Office in Bowie, Maryland in 1981, and in 1983, he became a letter carrier at the Post Office in Upper Marlboro, Maryland. While employed there, Rickey ran and was elected President, National Association of Letter Carriers (NALC) Local 6545 Union, representing the city letter carriers, which he performed successfully for many years. After 38 years with the Postal Service, Rickey decided to “give up his shoes.” He had done his time and retired on October 25, 2019. Rickey continually praised the Postal Service, and his famous words were “the Postal Service has been good to me; I have a pension for the rest of my life.” When Rickey would have discussions about God, he would always say “The Man Upstairs.” As an avid lifelong Chicago Bears fan, Rickey would not miss a game, and he had a passion for entertaining and hosting NFL parties on Sundays during the season. He was always sharing stories with everyone, especially with his Special Buddies—Nephew Cemanino (aka Mann) and Cousin Christopher (aka Chris). The three of them were inseparable. Even though they might not have agreed on everything, they always enjoyed sharing laughter, great food, and never-ending conversations about life. The Real Love Story is the strong bond between a father and his beautiful, smart, and successful daughters, Natasha, affectionately called “Boo” and Tamisha, affectionately called “Meme” by Rickey. He deeply loved and cherished his girls. He provided praise, support, and unconditional love, which gave his daughters the gift of confidence and high self-esteem, so they would grow into happy and successful adults. Rickey never wanted to control their future; however, he didn’t want them to settle for second best. He believed in his girls and he was so proud of their accomplishments in life. He just wanted them to go on and never give up. Tasha and Mitchi’s experiences were both different with their father; however, they both would call their father “Dad.” Tasha was the first born and diagnosed with asthma at seven months, and because she was frequently sick and constantly being hospitalized, she was constantly handled with care. Her sweetness, lovingness, and acts of kindness were never wasted. Tasha was the one that took care of Rickey’s needs, like preparing meals for him, ordering things off the internet for him, and buying clothes for him; because everyone knows that Rickey would care less about being fashionable. Mitchi, of course, was the last born and was known as “the baby.” She would affectionally call her father “Mista,” a nickname she gave him later in life. Mitchi was the strong, firm, and argumentative one, so much like her father, and such a sweet, kind, and loving daughter. Those two bumped heads quite often. Mitchi was the only one who could get her father to do things outside of his norm. She and her cousin, Mann (affectionately called “Buddy Rowe” by Tasha and Mitchi) were the ones who convinced Rickey to take his first flight ever, when Mitchi got married in Jamaica in 2015. Rickey sat straight up in his seat and didn’t move the entire flight. After that, Rickey talked about how he wanted to travel more, and they were all ready for him to experience the world. After a short illness, caused by multiple strokes, God saw the road was getting rough, and the hills were too hard to climb. He came and stood by Rickey and whispered softly, “Peace Be Thine.” Rickey passed quietly and was called home on January 6, 2022. Rickey leaves to cherish his daughters, Natasha Jackson and Tamisha Ponder (Marcus); a very close and special Nephew, Cemanino Douglas (Angela); a very close Cousin, Christopher Jackson (Stephanie); a very close cousin, Tracy Anderson; Ex-wife, Sharlene Grimes; other relatives and a host of associates and friends. We loved him dearly, but God loved him best. We will always miss him. Lovingly Submitted, Daughters, Natasha and Tamisha