Jacqueline (Jackie) Anne Stafford
Gladstone, MI – Jackie Stafford, 69, passed away on December 14, 2017 in Gladstone, Michigan at the home of her brother and sister-in-law.
Jackie was born on April 2, 1948 in Ararat, Pennsylvania, on her grandparent’s farm, to Arthur and Margaret Stafford. Her Grandfather affectionately referred to her as “Poochie”, a name which stuck throughout her life.
Jackie was raised in Jamestown, New York and graduated from Johnson City High School. She began her early years in customer service selling magazines, door to door, with great success. She went on to become a flight attendant for Eastern Airlines, and flew with them for over 20 years, based in New York, Boston and Atlanta. She always considered this the “job of a lifetime” which allowed her to meet amazing people and travel to many memorable destinations. Her favorite layover always included a Miller Lite, a beach and a fun time.
Jackie continued to live in Atlanta for many years after Eastern ceased operations in 1991. She moved to Gladstone, Michigan in 2008 to be closer to family. She worked at Walmart in Escanaba for the last nine years where she made many new and wonderful friends. No matter where she lived, Jackie always had an amazing and supportive group of friends, and in turn, was a good friend to so many.
She was preceded in death by the love of her life, Riley, her black lab mix. Jackie’s deep bond of love with Riley expressed a maternal instinct that few had ever seen and she has missed him every day. Jackie is survived by her brother, Homer (Stubby) Stafford, and sister-in-law, Elsie Stafford, her niece, Kelley Joerns and family, Erik, Jack and Hana and her nephew, Joel Stafford and family, Lindsay, Collin and Cooper. Jackie loved to be with her family and her favorite times were when the family was together, especially playing with her great niece and nephews.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Delta County Animal Shelter, Escanaba, Michigan. A celebration of Jackie’s life will be held next summer, 2018.
