Jackie Alsobrook passed away peacefully in her sleep on January 30, 2021, at Paris Regional Medical Center. Services will be held at Holy Cross Episcopal Church on Wednesday, February 3, at 4:00 PM with Father Craig Reed officiating. Online condolences can be made at Fry-Gibbs Funeral Home website. Burial will be at Shady Grove Cemetery the following morning. Due to COVID-19 concerns, the family requests that attendees wear masks and observe social distancing and hand sanitizing. Jackie would not have wanted anyone to become ill as a result of her funeral.
Born in Paris, Texas on October 31, 1935 to Wiley and Estelle Hughes Stone, Jackie graduated from East Lamar school in 1952 and attended Paris Junior College 1952-1954, earning her Associate of Science degree. She was voted “Friendliest Student” and elected editor of The Bat. Marriage and motherhood delayed the completion of her college degree, but she eventually returned and earned her BA in psychology from East Texas State University in 1970. She became a realtor for Rayburn and Sarah Bell in 1978 and eventually founded American Realty and worked as a real estate broker until her retirement in 2016. During the course of her real estate career, she was honored as Realtor of the Year and served for a time on the Lamar County Appraisal Board. Upon retirement, American Realty transferred to daughter, Susan Kennedy and husband, Dirk Dahlke.
After a three-month courtship in 1954, she married Bob Alsobrook, a Korean War veteran who had returned to Lamar County to farm cotton and cattle in Deport. A weather disaster in 1962 prompted them to abandon farming and move to Paris. Bob soon returned to college to finish his degree in Fine Arts from ETSU. They remained married until his death in 1995.
Bob had achieved some renown as a local artist, and he, Jackie, and friend Tallie Moore Bush organized the first Paris Arts Fair in 1965, which featured local artists and was held in Culbertson Park. Jackie sewed all the red, white and blue striped vests, dresses, and kerchiefs that the Paris High School art student volunteers wore.
As a founding member of the YWCA, Jackie served on its board for many years and as president. She worked to organize racially integrated activities for teenage girls, and activities for adults. In 1976, after realizing sports were a good way to promote teamwork and self-esteem and there were virtually no sports teams for girls in Paris, she established the first girls’ softball league in Paris through the YWCA. She overcame local prejudices to get the girls’ league allowed to play on the boys’ baseball fields and spent countless hours recruiting coaches, sponsors and raising money. After several years of the telephone ringing nonstop during baseball season, Bob announced that she either had to take a smaller role or he was going to find an alternative residence. Since the league was well-established, she opted to hand the reins to others.
During John F. Kennedy’s presidency, Jackie became active in Democratic party politics, and for several decades attended precinct, county, and state conventions as a delegate. In 1976, she was elected as a delegate to the Democratic National Convention in New York City. She served as a campaign chair or volunteer for several presidential, gubernatorial, Congressional, and local candidates for many years, and her advice was often sought by Democratic candidates as well as a few Republicans.
Jackie loved people and participated in many clubs and organizations and served as president of some. Among these are Women of the Church, Tempo Music Club, and Business and Professional Women. She loved Holy Cross, but later wanted to reconnect with her Baptist roots and attended Springlake Baptist Church. She loved Charlotte and Jerry Coyle’s Bible Study Group, and sang with the Red River Gospel Singers.
Jackie served on the Paris Public Library Board for many years, and was elected to the North East Texas Library System (NETLS) board. She worked to expand the books and programs for the Paris library and traveled to the state capitol in Austin to lobby for library funding. She became the driving force behind the library building expansion in Paris and established the Friends of the Library to raise funding for the addition and generate support for the library. She served as a board member and president of the Northeast Texas Council on Drug and Alcohol Abuse.
When her granddaughter, Honey, became terminally ill, Jackie brought her considerable determination to support the Pulmonary Hypertension Association and donated time, money and energy to the annual ZebraPHest fundraiser.
Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, sister, Margeurite Butler, niece Linda Butler, and granddaughter Honey Kennedy. She is survived by daughters Ruth Ann Alsobrook (Bob Fagan) of Paris, Susan Kennedy (Dirk Dahlke) of Hickory Creek, son Bruce Alsobrook (Beth) of Sulphur Springs, daughter of the heart, Patti Spradlin Hevron (Glenn) of McKinney, grandchildren Rob, Daniel, and Laura Alsobrook, Bryan Hevron (Melanie), Amy Hevron (Scott Eichelberger), and great-grandchildren Henry Hevron, Margaret Hevron, Chasen Alsobrook, Elizah Alsobrook, and Violet Frye.
Pallbearers will be Bill Clayton, Jerry Coyle, James Callaway, Fred Fangio, Bill Butler, and Rob Alsobrook.
