Dr. William "Bill" G. Jackson

A celebration of life will be held for Dr. William “Bill” Gilbert Jackson, 76, of Corinth on Thursday, October 30 at First Methodist Church of Corinth. Visitation will be from 11:00am – 1:30pm, with services following at 2:00pm. The Reverend Kim Ratliff will officiate the service. A private burial will be held on Friday at Harmony Baptist Church Cemetery in Walnut, MS.

Dr. Jackson was born on September 24, 1949 in Louisville, Kentucky to the late W.C. and Patty Jackson. He graduated from Walnut High School, Northeast Mississippi Community College (NEMCC), and Mississippi State University before going on to the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He was Student Body President at NEMCC, a senator at MSU, and a member of Kappa Alpha Order fraternity. After graduating medical school in 1975, he completed an internship at Baptist Memorial Hospital in Memphis, Tennessee, and returned to Corinth, Mississippi to practice. He served five generations of Crossroads area families with medical care for 46 years. He treated thousands of people like they were his own family.

In 1984, he was named as a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. Dr. Jackson was involved in the Mississippi Academy of Family Physicians for many years. Following service as a board member, he held every Academy office while working his way up to President in 2002-03. He was named Physician of the Year in 2019. He also represented Mississippi nationally as an alternate delegate to the AAFP Congress of Delegates and was a member of the American Medical Association and the Southern Medical Association. Dr. Jackson was also a member of the Mississippi State Medical Association, and previously served as Chief of Staff at Magnolia Regional Health Center. He was an Adjunct Faculty member at NEMCC, a past consulting director for Heritage Manor Nursing Home and Alcorn Care Inn Nursing Home, and a Clinical Instructor at the University of Mississippi School of Medicine. He loved his work as a preceptor for third- and fourth-year medical students. He also took great pride in his work with Magnolia’s internal medicine residency program and considered that one of the great accomplishments of his life.

Dr. Jackson was a member of First Methodist Church, where he served on the Administrative Board, Finance Committee, and the Education Committee. He was also Family Ministries Coordinator, and on the Pastor-Parrish Committee. He was very active in the community, serving on the Board of Directors for the Corinth YMCA, where he was a Life Member and President of the Board. He was on the Board of Directors for the Boys Club of Corinth from 1977-1986 and was a Past President. He served on the Board of Directors at Timber Hills Mental Health from 1979-1993 and was on the Board of Directors for the United Way. He was a member of the Rotary Club and was awarded the Paul Harris Fellow Award and the Humanitarian Award for Health Care in 2006. He was on the Northeast Mississippi Community College Development Foundation Board, where he served as both Vice Chairman and President. He was a member of the Northeast Mississippi Community Concert (Symphony) Board of Directors.

As a former Eagle Scout himself, Dr. Jackson gladly served on the Yocona Area Council for Boy Scouts Executive Board. An avid student of history and a collector of Civil War memorabilia and relics, he was a member of the City of Corinth Historical Commission. Dr. Jackson was President of the Friends of the Siege and Battle of Corinth and a member of the Siege and Battle Commission during the time that the Corinth Civil War Interpretive Center was being built. He was Alumni of the year at NEMCC in 1977 and was inducted into the Alumni Hall of Fame in 2014. In 1980, he was named as an Outstanding Young Men of America. He was a Thirty-Second Degree Mason and a Shriner.

Bill had a wide range of hobbies, including water skiing, snow skiing, being a certified scuba diver, and an instrument-rated private pilot. He achieved the rank of Major with the Civil Air Patrol, MS Wing. He was a well-known antique collector, who spent hours in his workshop refinishing furniture. He had a lifelong passion for collecting classic cars and built an impressive collection. His dedication and eye for detail reached its pinnacle when one of his prized vehicles, an L-29 Cord, was invited to the world-renowned Pebble Beach Tour Concours d’Elegance, the ultimate stage for automotive excellence.

Those left to honor Bill’s memory include his college sweetheart and wife of 49 years, Linda Gene Christian; his daughters Candace Marlar (Josh), Lindsey Jackson (Robert Cooper), and Morgan Williams (Kevin); grandchildren Hilton Marlar, Eleanor Williams, and John Francis Williams; his treasured dog, Elsa; as well as a host of extended family and friends.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his brother Dr. Jim Jackson, and his beloved grandson Jackson Marlar.

Pallbearers include Josh Christian, Dr. Robert Cooper, Bill Dalton, James Jackson, Matt Jackson, William Jackson, Dr. Andy Jones, Josh Marlar, and Kevin Williams.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions be made to St. Jude Children’s Hospital or the First Methodist Church of Corinth.