Robert Clark Jackson

Robert "Bob" Clark Jackson, a dedicated public servant, brilliant storyteller, and lifelong lover of the arts, passed away peacefully at home at the age of 87. A resident of Atlanta, Georgia, Bob spent his life improving the health and well-being of others while filling the lives of his family and friends with music, wit, and warmth.

Born in Stromsburg, Nebraska, to Wayne and Dorothy (Burgeson) Jackson, Bob’s early life was shaped by a deep appreciation for education and music. He graduated from Kennesaw (Nebraska) High School and began his academic journey studying music at Hastings College and the University of Kansas. Recognizing a calling to community service, he pivoted to public health and social work, ultimately earning a Master of Social Work (MSW) degree from Florida State University (FSU) and a Master of Public Health (MPH) from the University of California, Berkeley. Upon graduation from FSU, he received a commission as a Lieutenant in the United States Public Health Service (USPHS).

One week following graduation from FSU, Bob married his beloved wife, Barbara Holland Jackson, also a student in the graduate program. Bob’s first assignment with the USPHS sent them to New York where he worked at Cornell. While working in New York, he and Barbara enjoyed the theater scene and sampling the many restaurants. His career later took them to Jacksonville, Florida where he worked with the Department of Health. The San Francisco Bay area was the next assignment where he studied and was employed at the University of California Berkeley. While in the Bay area, he and Barbara enjoyed the wonderful restaurants and Napa Valley wines. His true professional legacy was forged in Atlanta with the USPHS Southeast Regional Office. As a federal official, he served with distinction as the Director of Community Health Services and Director of the Division of Health Services Delivery for Region IV under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS).

From his career base in Atlanta, Bob oversaw public health social work, maternal and child health policies, and medical care programs across eight southeastern states. A respected administrative leader, he co-authored vital evaluation studies, organized influential regional health conferences, and dedicated his career to building multidisciplinary healthcare delivery systems.

Beyond his professional accomplishments, Bob was a man of vibrant cultural tastes. Music was a lifelong thread; he possessed an extraordinary ear for classical arrangements, opera, jazz, blues, and the classic standards of the Great American Songbook. He was an accomplished classical pianist and loved playing Bach. He took great joy in introducing his family to the legendary, as well as lesser-known musicians who performed over many years.

Bob and Barbara were fixtures of the Atlanta cultural scene, regularly exploring the city's fine dining restaurants, the symphony, opera and local theater. He was a master orator. Blessed with an incredible wit and a gift for performance, he could hold any room spellbound, turning a simple experience into an unforgettable story.

Bob is reunited in peace with his parents, Wayne and Dorothy Jackson; his son, Todd Jackson; his four brothers, Jack, Terry, Steve, and David Jackson; his nephews, David and Dennis Jackson; and his niece, Sandra.

His memory will be forever cherished by his devoted wife of sixty-four years, Barbara Jackson of Atlanta; his son, Scott A. Jackson of Atlanta; and his beloved granddaughter, Alice Elaine "Allie" Jackson and daughter-in-law, Emily Blake Jackson-Bratcher (Brad Bratcher), all of Nashville, Tennessee.

He also leaves behind his sister, Deanna Jackson (Roger White) of Charleston, South Carolina; sister-in-law Jacquie Jackson of Grand Rapids, Michigan; his nieces, Jessica and Shannon; and his nephews, Brad, Jeff, and Justin, along with extended family, former colleagues, and dear friends.

In lieu of flowers, please consider donations in Bob’s memory to:

Actor’s Express
887 West Marietta ST NW
Suite J-107
Atlanta GA. 30318 
Actors-express.com

Atlanta Opera
Attn: Development
1575 Northside Drive NW
Building 300, Suite 300
Atlanta GA 30318 
https://www.atlantaopera.org

Vanderbilt Brain Tumor Center 
https://give.vanderbilthealth.org
Select “other” and type “Brain Tumor Center”