On May 23, 2019, Melissa Jolene Jackson Stubbs passed away quietly at home after a year and a half battle with cancer. This was just four days shy of her 55th birthday.

Melissa was the beautiful wife of James Stubbs. She was also a wonderful mom to her two sons, William Anthony Stubbs and James Daniel Stubbs; and daughter, Jamie Danielle Stubbs. She had one daughter-in-law that she considered one of her own, Kelly Knight Stubbs. And perhaps her most prized possessions were her best friend and granddaughter, Anly Stubbs; and her rough little grandson, William “Will” Kane Stubbs.

Melissa had served the people of Washington Parish at Thomas Elementary School for the last 32 years. She was a teacher and guidance counselor. Melissa followed in her father, the late William Russell Jackson’s footsteps. He had worked there for 28 years. The beginning of the next school year will be the first year since 1964 that Thomas School will not have a member of the Jackson family on its staff. Melissa was raised in and a member of Thomas First Baptist Church and also liked to attend Briarwood Baptist Church.

Melissa had a “Go” bug in her. She wasn’t an avid sports fan, but when tickets were mentioned, she said “Let’s Go,” whether it was an LSU game to watch the crowds or Talladega to see the “sights.” Melissa had traveled to every state in the Southeastern U.S., Texas and Hawaii and had visited Europe.

She had a snap-shot on her phone that read: “I don’t want my pain and struggle to make me a victim. I want my battle to make me someone’s hero.” It did and WE LOVE YOU.

Melissa is survived by her husband, children and grandchildren as well as her mother, Beverly Walker Jackson; a brother, Russell “Rusty” Keith Jackson and his son, Cooper Jackson; her mother-in-law, Shirley Stubbs; sister-in-law, Stacey Wilson and her son, Cody Wilson and daughter, Kaylee Wilson.

She was preceded in death by her father, William Russell Jackson; and father-in-law, Billy Stubbs.

Visitation was at Crain Funeral Home on Sunday, May 26, from noon until 1 p.m. A funeral service was held in the funeral home chapel at 1 p.m. Sunday, May 26, with the Rev. Eric Williams and the Rev. Shad Pittman officiating. Burial followed in the Thomas Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers memorial donations to the MD Anderson Cancer Center (mdanderson.org).

Pallbearers were Steve Knight, Harold Thomas, Cole Thomas, Clinton Guice, Darrell Guice and Thomas Milan. Honorary pallbearers were Inez Barber, Kim Jones and Lisa Magee.