England, Jacqueline (Jackie) Adams

Jacqueline (Jackie) Adams England, Nashville, TN. Age sixty-three. October 19, 2015. Jackie was a member of Otter Creek Church of Christ. She is the daughter of the late Jack D. and Maxine Dodd Adams. Survived by her husband, G. David England; daughter, Melody (John) Gurley; son, Timothy (Charissa) England; grandchildren, Isaac and Andrew England; sister, Carla Adams; and brother, Tom Adams. Visitation will be Wednesday, October 21, 2015, from 4-8 p.m., at Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, 5852 Nolensville Road, and Thursday from 11 a.m. - 12 Noon at the church. Funeral services will be conducted Thursday, October 22, 2015, at 12 noon, at Otter Creek Church of Christ, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, by Josh Graves, Tim Woodroof, Pat Ward, Ellen Mossack and Sandra Collins. Interment Woodlawn Cemetery. Family and friends will serve as Active Pallbearers. Honorary Pallbearers: Otter Creek Ladies Bible Class and Otter Creek Sewing Ministry. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Living Water Project, 409 Franklin Road, Brentwood, TN 37027. Woodbine Funeral Home, Hickory Chapel, Directors (615) 331-1952.Still Family Owned

Comments by Pat Ward

I know that David, Tim, Charissa, Melody, John, Carla, and all of the rest of the family appreciate so much your being here today. We celebrate the life that Jackie lived and the eternal life she is now living. We grieve for ourselves, we will miss her, and there will be a gaping hole where she once was; but we celebrate that she has been set free from her pain and suffering. We thank God that this is only the beginning for her. We prayed for healing – and though this is not the healing we were thinking of, it is the best healing Josh often speaks to us of church being much more than what he says on Sunday morning. He reminds us that we are energized, filled, and refreshed to go out and be church every day. Sunday night I witnessed community, church at its best in room 8657 at Vanderbilt MICU. Many of you gathered in Jackie’s room. Tim was having trouble getting on a flight – in fact, I think David was told that he couldn’t get one until morning, but someone there stepped in and got him on the flight. Someone else picked him up at the airport. Some of you got food and smoothies. All of us sang and prayed. We told stories about Jackie. We laughed and we wept. Everyone in that room was vulnerable and felt our need for our Savior. Once as we were singing, I looked up and the sweet nurse in the room was crying. She felt the presence of God just as we did.

Jackie, David, Melody, and Tim and the Wards go back a long way--about thirty-one years if I did the math correctly. I don’t know how many of you know that Jackie was a great softball player. Back in the day at Concord Road Church of Christ, we played on the same team. Sonya Colvert was the pitcher and Jackie was our home run hitter. At the end of the season, I was voted most improved, so I think you can assume how valuable I was to the team. Jackie took our games seriously, often challenging, pushing, and encouraging the rest of us. She didn’t expect us to be like her. She just wanted us to do our best. One night in particular, she was determined we were going to win the game. She hit a great ball out in left field. She was sure she could make it to third, and she did, but as she was sliding in, her cleat stuck in the dirt, and she broke her ankle badly. We had to drive our van onto the field to pick her up. As we were going to the hospital--days before cell phones--David had to pull up beside us to tell us his insurance didn’t cover the hospital we were going to and for us to pull off at the next exit. She made it through that and six weeks later, David broke his leg.

Jackie was never the up-front person at church, but she did minister. She was an encourager, especially if she knew you struggled with illness for an extended period of time. I visited with her this summer at NHC. As I was leaving, I asked if I could pray and she said, “Of course!” When I finished she said, “We are going to pray again and this time I am going to pray for you. You need it too!” That was how she did things. She loved deeply and intensely. Melody said her mom was full of spirit and encouragement, that she always welcomed her friends in, and touched many lives. Tim, she loved being GiGi to Andrew and Isaac. She was so proud of them.

David and Jackie had a deep love--forty years of love. Melody has a constant memory of her dad sitting in the recliner rubbing the top of Jackie’s head. She said she didn’t know who liked it the best. David, I watched you rub her head for hours Sunday night as you professed your love. You kept saying, “I’m right here by your side.” That would speak of your relationship. Let’s be real: the illness was hard and harsh and tiring, but you two never gave up. In many ways, Sunday was a surprise to us all. Jackie had endured hard times before, but she had always bounced back. This time healing was brought in a different way, sooner than we had planned.

With Jackie being the athlete that she was in body for a long time and still was in her head, this verse seems most fitting. Jackie ran the race, she kept the faith, she finished the course, and now she is receiving the crown God has for her. So long my friend, see you soon.

Comments by Ellen Mossack

I first met Jackie over thirty-seven years ago. David led singing at the church where Rob had just been hired as the youth minister. Jackie and I were both Midwestern city girls, and we were in a small southern town because of our husbands’ jobs. As two aliens in a strange land, we shared an immediate bond. We often shared meals and laughter as Melody toddled at our feet. In a matter of months, our friendship grew, and we even literally became closer as the Englands moved into a duplex next to ours. Meals, board games, and laughter continued. All of you know what an infectious laugh Jackie had, one that could make you smile just to hear her.

Time went by, and addresses changed, but our friendship never waned. They lived in Nashville, and we in Memphis, Smyrna, Murfreesboro, and Chattanooga. But no matter how many miles or months, we could always catch up right where we left off. We visited each other, shared more meals and even more laughter. Finally, twenty-seven years ago, we found ourselves in the same city again—this time thanks to David helping us through a door that allowed us to be at Lipscomb again. Then, a little over five years ago (who can forget moving in the weekend of the great Nashville flood), our yards met once again, when the David and Jackie bought the house directly behind ours. This made our times together even more convenient. We could yell over the fence or open the fence door to visit. Our grandchildren played in each other’s yards, shared toys, and there was more laughter.

But more important than sharing a location has been the way we have been able to share so many meaningful moments in our lives: the birth of our children and watching them grow all the way through their high school graduations, the marriages of our children, the births of our grandchildren, the pain of losing parents.

For the last fifteen years or so, Rob and I got together with David and Jackie at least once a week. We’re not sure when it happened, but soon it wasn’t a matter of “Do you want to get together?” to “Well, where do we go this week?” The four of us would go out to eat, drive to parks, hike trails, attend

festivals or just enjoy nature. Sometimes we would just wind up at one house or the other, sharing a cup of coffee, conversation, or even a good round or two of video game bowling.

Oh, how Jackie loved her God. She loved Bible studies, Otter Creek, and things related to Zoe. She took her discipleship seriously, wanting to be like Jesus. What God would think about something is what ultimately mattered most to her.

What love she had for her family---a deep and abiding commitment to David and her marriage, such deep love for and pride in Melody and Tim. She offered care and love to her own parents and her in-laws. She cared so much for her siblings, nieces, and nephews. She just loved her family. Take a look at her scrapbooks if you don’t believe me.

You know, Jackie was surely a lover of nature. She could identify wild flowers and she loved the sunshine through the trees. She loved a good hike and enjoyed those visits to the state parks and other nature areas. While she enjoyed the beauty of nature in other settings, she could always grow the most beautiful flowers in her own garden as well. The tall ones were always in the back with the shorter ones in front and she had the growth of the flowers seasons down where there was always something blooming from early spring to late fall. Jackie also had a vegetable garden where we would always benefit from a bumper crop.

Jackie enjoyed books so much, and I kidded her because one of her favorite spots to read was in the warm sunshine sitting inside her car parked in the driveway. It was a warm, cozy spot for her on a chilly day. It wasn’t at all unusual to see her out on her deck, book in hand, blanket on her lap.

She was an artist, and I enjoyed observing the process as much as the completed canvases. I was amazed how she could blend colors to make the pictures come to life. I distinctly remember seeing a portrait of a man she had just completed. I saw every line and wrinkle on the man’s face with eyes that looked right into mine. It was such a blessing to be able to attend an artists’ reception at Centennial Park, where her work was on display for all to see. We were so proud of her and so happy to see her get much deserved recognition.

Her creativity didn’t end at the edge of the canvas. She had such a gift for crochet and knitting, creating articles of clothing that she shared with others as personal and very meaningful gifts.

Mentioning that leads to the next thing I have to say about Jackie; she gave so much of herself through her talents. She was a fabulous cook and her poppy seed chicken was one of my favorite dishes she would prepare. Many of you know of her food because she prepared many meals for families whenever there was a need sent from the church office.

The bread she baked was some of the best. It was sourdough bread she would bake and then give to people. I don’t know how many times she would show up at our front door with two loaves in hand, one for us, and one for Eric and Hallie. Who knows how many loaves she baked through the years! I’m guessing most hands in this room would go up if I asked to see how many of you had one given to you at some point in time.

Jackie also made a delicious fudge pie. It was her mother in law’s recipe, and she made it because if was one of David’s favorites. She gave me the recipe and I will continue to think of her every time I prepare it.

Jackie and David shared both a deep love for music and wealth of musical knowledge. Many times, we would complete our time together by listening to music and drinking coffee. We’d sing along, and then David and Jackie would give all the trivia about the band members, song lyrics, and year the album was produced. Let me not forget to mention the times we played Guitar Hero, Jackie taking the mic and “performing,” complete with dance moves.

Finally, Jackie loved people. She was an encourager. She sent people notes to let them know she was thinking about them and to remind them she cared. There’s a lot to learn from Jackie’s example, especially when it came to how to treat people. She truly cared about those who were vulnerable, particularly senior citizens. I experienced that first hand when my father was so sick. She also knew how to love and care for the ones who were at times unlovable.

Jackie was persistent. She graduated from college as an older student, cum laude at that. Jackie was determined, evidenced by her dogged determination to beat that insidious kidney disease. But even in her pain and discomfort she thought of others. Many times, when I would visit her at the NHC rehab center, she would inform me of the improving conditions of some of the patients there.

Let me end by saying something to Jackie herself, since her spirit and life fill this room today. Since she loved music so much, I’ll share a thought adapted from a line toward the end of a great movie about a lover of music—Mr. Holland’s Opus:

Jackie, you had a profound influence on my life and on a lot of lives I know. But I have a feeling that you never understood or appreciated the breadth of your influence for good. You weren’t rich by earthly standards, and you weren’t some kind of celebrity. But you have achieved a success far beyond riches and fame. Look around you—look at every face in this room today—your husband, children, grandchildren, family and friends. There is not a life in this room that you have not touched, and each of us is a better person because of you. We are your symphony, Jackie. We are the melodies and the notes of your opus. We are the music of your life.

Early in our friendship, we shared a property line. At the time of Jackie’s death, we shared a property line. Now, I look forward to heaven, where we can meet and share yet one more property line, this time for eternity.

Comments by Sandra Collins

As I told Melody when she asked me to speak, I was not one of Jackie’s closest friends, but I was certainly one of her greatest admirers. I remember her beautiful smile, her excitement about Melody’s wedding, her determination to be there, and her coming to the wedding shower to everyone’s surprise and delight. She was proud of how beautiful Melody was in her stunning wedding picture and showed it to me. Jackie had a rich, low voice that I envied and was articulate and interesting whether she was talking about the Bible, family, her medications, or the twists and turns of her illness.

Often she would ask about our daughter Erin and her artwork, never even hinting that she herself was an artist, which I discovered only when I visited her this past year and saw all the beautiful paintings around the room. She never told me she had run a business or had returned to school to get her degree. She did not talk to me about such things. Instead she pointed to the flowers people had brought her, told me of another Lipscomb person I should visit at NHC, explained clearly the mystery of her illness and the medical doctors’ puzzlement when a new problem would arise

When I saw her Christmas tree was still up and asked if she would like me to take it down, she mentioned how much she enjoyed the lights long after Christmas. I then wished I were not so quick to take down a Christmas tree because I always missed the lights when they were gone.

But beyond all these things what I will best remember is that every time I made one of my many annoying and varied appeals for money, Jackie would be the first to offer support, saying quietly, “I will write you a check after the first of the month if that is OK.” For the Wayne Reed silent auction, one year she offered a quilt; two years ago she offered

a rather famous old print; last year she purchased two books which had the pages folded into a heart and a dove; and lying in bed so sick less than two weeks ago, she asked me the date of this year’s dinner. But she helped other ministries as well. If she had felt somewhat well, she would have been downstairs in the Living Water garage sale this week, possibly alone or with just one other person, sorting and folding for hours. Two years ago the other person was Mary Ann Green.

Jackie would tell me how much she admired Joan Van Hooser as she faced death, how much she admired Wayne Reed at the rehab when the exercises would produce no complaints but a facial expression revealing great pain. In fact, Joan, Wayne, and the rest of us were all thinking of her as one to be admired.

I saw in David and Jackie (of whom he would say tenderly “that girl has suffered so much”) what marriage is supposed to be—kindness, commitment, perseverance, self-denial. In a time when so many marriages hang by a fraying thread, this church has recently seen deeply Christian marriages lived out before us in the lives of the Emersons, the Van Hoosers, the Moores, the Martins, and now the Englands—marriages in which the selfless partner of a desperately ill and dying spouse remains faithful, kind, loving, and tender till the end despite unanswered prayers and the resulting deep, deep sorrow of anticipated loss. Listen to these great comforting lines from the end of C.S. Lewis’s Chronicles of Narnia.

But for them it was only the beginning of the real story. All their life in this world and all their adventures in Narnia had only been the cover and the title page: now at last they were beginning Chapter One of the Great Story which no one on earth has read: which goes on forever: in which every chapter is better than the one before.–C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

I have come home at last! This is my real country! I belong here. This is the land I have been looking for all my life, though I never knew it till now...Come further up, come further in!”― C.S. Lewis, The Last Battle

In Shall We Dance? Susan Sarandon’s character says of marriage,

We need a witness to our lives. There's a billion people on the planet... I mean, what does any one life really mean? But in a marriage, you're promising to care about everything. The good things, the bad things, the terrible things, the mundane things... all of it, all of the time, every day. You're saying, “Your life will not go unnoticed because I will notice it. Your life will not go unwitnessed because I will be your witness.”

We can all testify that we have been witnesses to an extraordinary marriage and the life of a remarkable, generous woman.

Additional comments…Sandra Collins

Jackie needed a kidney but none came. At almost the same time as her death, T. J. McCloud wrote to the Living Water Project’s Jon Lee asking for help building a well at a clinic in Nicaragua. Nicaraguan men, he said, die from kidney failure. They work in heat all day long with no access to enough water. The lack of water puts such a strain on their kidneys that they die in their mid- fifties. The juxtaposition of these two stories in the same week— Jackie’s death and the water needed to save Nicaraguan worker— spurred the board to ask that all donations to Living Water Project in honor of Jackie be directed toward the well at the clinic. Money poured in and a well by the clinic was built in Jackie’s honor. You can see the tank near the center of the picture.