Jackson Lightfoot Whitsett was born on March 8, 1995, in Livingston, NJ. Jackson tragically left us on January 17, 2023, in Charlottesville, Virginia. Jackson was a lifetime member of the NAACP since 1996 and he was baptized in 2011 at Ebenezer Baptist Church in Charlottesville. While attending Glenfield Middle School in Montclair, Jackson founded the first middle school Gay/Straight Alliance, now known as the Gender and Sexuality Alliance. He was the captain of the Montclair High School Cheerleading team, providing endless entertainment with his gameday gymnastics and enthusiastic performances. Jackson was also a gifted dancer and choreographer throughout his school career and with the Montclair High Dance Company. During high school, Jackson also worked for the Montclair YMCA as a dance and cheerleading instructor and a Camp at the Lake counselor. He graduated from Montclair High School in 2013.
In 2013, Jackson moved to Atlanta to become a competitive cheerleader and cheerleading coach with Stingrays Gym. Jackson coached many teams including the World Championship Grape team. During this time he attended Kennesaw State University and Chattahoochee Technical College. He moved to Nashville to coach while he worked as a manager at Turnip Truck. Up until his death, Jackson also traveled the country choreographing for countless cheer teams. Jackson moved to Charlottesville, Virginia, six months ago and worked at Marigold Restaurant in Keswick, Virginia.
He leaves to grieve him his mother, Margaret Jackson Whitsett of Montclair, NJ; his father, Bernard Whitsett II of Charlottesville, VA; brothers, Bernard and Neal; aunts, Bernadette Whitsett-Hammond and Joselyn Whitsett-Bell of Charlottesville; and a host of extended family. Most extraordinarily however are the legions of friends Jack made all over the country who mourn the loss of his beautiful soul.
Gifts to honor his extraordinary life and light may be directed to the Montclair Fund for Educational Excellence (MFEE): Jackson Lightfoot Whitsett Memorial Fund to support the work of the Gender and Sexuality Alliance at Glenfield Middle School: https://givebutter.com/jlwfund Check donations can be made to MFEE (with JLWMF in the memo) and mailed to 100 Chestnut Street, Montclair, NJ 07042.
A memorial service will be held at The Women’s Club of Montclair, NJ at 3 pm on February 25.
Another memorial service will be held in Nashville, Tennessee on Jackson’s birthday.
