OBITUARY • 04-12-24 • Jo Bess Jackson
Jo Bess Jackson of Dallas passed away on Wednesday, April 3, in Dallas. She will always be remembered as a powerful and loving mother, friend and colleague to all who knew and loved her.
She was born on March 7, 1943, in San Antonio to Joseph and Mabel VanderStucken. As a young adult, Jo Bess studied music and English at North Texas State University and became a trailblazing professional musician, culminating in her tenure as a clarinetist with the Fort Wayne, Ind.
Philharmonic. A student of the legendary Robert Marcellus, Jo Bess served as a teacher and mentor to countless younger clarinetists.
In the early 1980s, Jo Bess changed careers. She was salutatorian in her Southern Methodist University law class, and went on to become a practicing attorney.
