Joan Fitzwater Jackson

Joan Fitzwater Jackson, age 65, of Southern Chester County, Pennsylvania, passed
away on July 6, 2025, after a brief illness. She was the loving wife of Alan Jackson, with
whom she shared 36 years of marriage.

Joan was born on April 26, 1960, in Ellwood City, Pennsylvania, to Charles (Chuck)
Walker Fitzwater and Theodora (Teddy) Ann (Shaffer) Fitzwater. Her family moved to
Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, during her elementary school years, and she graduated from
Cedar Cliff High School in 1978. She earned a Bachelor of Science in Chemical and
Environmental Engineering from the University of Pittsburgh in 1983 and later
completed a Master of Science in Engineering and Technical Project Management from
The Johns Hopkins University in 1995.

In the summer of 1987, Joan met Alan through a mutual friend, and they were married
in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. Over the years, they made homes together in Perry Hall
and Bel Air, Maryland; Garnet Valley, Pennsylvania; San Antonio, Texas; and West
Grove, Pennsylvania. While living in Garnet Valley, Joan took great joy in encouraging
their son Rex to excel in both High School sports and academics.

Joan is lovingly remembered by her husband, Alan Jackson; her son, Rex Jackson; her
father, Chuck Fitzwater; her sister, Kathleen (Kathy) Murphy (Fitzwater); and her nieces,
Deirdre Murphy and Maggie Murphy, along with Maggie’s husband, Brandon Witten,
MD. She was preceded in death by her mother, Teddy Fitzwater (Shaffer); her sister,
Carolyn Fitzwater; three unborn children; and several beloved dogs and cats.

Joan built a distinguished career in Occupational Safety and Health and Environmental
Restoration and Compliance. She served as a civilian employee for the U.S. Army, the
National Security Agency, and MBNA, and also founded her own consulting firm,
Sourwood Solutions, Inc., where she served as President and CEO. She retired in 2024
as Safety Director at the Army Test and Evaluation Command in Aberdeen, Maryland,
and held roles with the U.S. Army Futures Command, the Army Environmental
Command, and OSHA. Her work earned numerous accolades, including recognition for
life-saving safety initiatives and environmental remediation. One of her proudest
accomplishments was contributing to a project at the Joliet Army Ammunition Plant,
which earned an EPA award for “National Excellence in Site Reuse.” Over three
decades, the site was transformed into a veterans cemetery, a business and
transportation hub, and a conservation area that is now the largest contiguous open
space for bird habitat in northeastern Illinois.

While at MBNA, Joan served as Vice President of Environmental Compliance and was
recognized for her leadership during anthrax and bomb threats, as well as flooding
emergencies. She also managed environmental and safety compliance for the Bank.

Beyond her professional life, Joan had many passions. She was an avid collector of
Barbies, vintage glassware, and Pyrex. She loved baking, mixology, genealogy, and
native plant gardening. Her most passionate hobbies were her deep dives into family
history and her commitment to restoring native habitats. She was a proud member of
the Daughters of the American Revolution, having documented 20 patriot ancestors,
and served as registrar of the Delaware County DAR, where she onboarded a record
number of new members in 2023. She also contributed to the re-dedication of the Old
Swedes Burial Ground in Chester, Pennsylvania, where she helped identify 11
unmarked plots.

Joan was also a member of numerous lineage societies, including the U.S. Daughters
of 1812, The Welcome Society, First Families of Maryland, First Families of Kentucky,
The National Huguenot Society, Daughters of Union Veterans of the Civil War,
Descendants of Washington’s Army at Valley Forge, The National Society of Daughters
of Founders and Patriots of America, National Society Daughters of American Colonists,
National Society Colonial Dames XVII Century, National Society of New England
Women, and The United Daughters of the Confederacy.

Joan and Alan had only just begun to explore the world in retirement, with many
destinations still on her bucket list. Her love for native plants and pollinators reflected
her deep commitment to leaving the world better than she found it. She believed in
enhancing the lives of her favorite critters—bees, butterflies, hummingbirds—and in
preserving the natural beauty of the world for generations to come.

In lieu of flowers, the family invites those wishing to honor Joan’s memory to plant a
flowering native plant that attracts bees, butterflies, hummingbirds, or migratory birds.
Other causes dear to her heart includes Tri-State Bird Rescue in Newark, Delaware,
Wreaths Across America, donating blood, and becoming an organ donor.
A Catholic mass will be offered at Holy Redeemer Catholic Church, 415 4th Street,
Ellwood City, PA 16117 on September 4, 2025 at 10am.

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Joan Fitzwater Jackson, please visit our floral store.