Milan Sidney Jackson Obituary (1945 - 2019)

Milan Sidney Jackson, 74, passed away peacefully December 24, 2019, at Advocate-BroMenn Hospice surrounded by his family. Milan was born in Bloomington, Illinois, on August 9, 1945, to Robert Sidney Jackson and Juanita Regan Jackson at Mennonite Hospital, the last of four surviving children. He married Billie Ruth O'Daniel on October 8, 1977, and they had one daughter, Jessica Sydney and one son, Scott Andrew. Milan is survived by his wife and daughter, three siblings - Jerry (Suzanne) Jackson of Peoria, Judy (David) Peavler and Alice Kay Jackson of Normal, and several nieces, nephews, and great-nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his infant son, Scott Andrew Jackson, two infant siblings, and his parents. Milan graduated from Bloomington High School in 1963 and was a driving force behind his class's 50th reunion in 2013. He was a well-respected member of the school choir under Miss Mary Selk and performed in several tribute concerts for her over the years. Upon graduating high school, he joined the Army National Guard of Illinois and served his country in that capacity until 1971. He had a long and productive career in auto parts distribution around Central Illinois until his retirement in 2007. An avid golfer his entire life, Milan could be found at Highland Park Golf Course every weekend. He spent many of his retired days as a loyal volunteer at the McLean County Museum of History, assisting patrons in the library and archives and providing background research for a number of museum publications and projects. Despite spending his entire life in Bloomington-Normal, Milan was forever a fan of the Dodgers - in Brooklyn and Los Angeles - and spent much of the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s trying to capture a little of that magic for himself as a catcher and manager in local softball leagues. The Chicago Cubs and, since 2005, the Washington Nationals were second and third in his heart, and he thoroughly enjoyed the historic World Series runs in 2016 and 2019. His hope for another winning season for the Chicago Bears never flagged, though it continued to take a beating for too many years in a row. Maybe 2020 will be the winning year for both his teams. His family and friends were always his highest priorities in life. His warm love and friendship will be greatly missed by his entire family and by many in the community. The Jackson family thanks Dr. Pramern Sriratana and his teams at the Community Cancer Center and Advocate-BroMenn Hospice for their zealous and compassionate care during Milan's final illness. The family will hold a service at Calvert Metzler Memorial Home in Bloomington on Tuesday December 31, 2019 at 11 AM. Reverend Matt Horine will officiate. There will be a visitation from 5-7 PM Monday December 30, 2019, at the Memorial Home. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Community Cancer Center and McLean County Museum of History.