Jackson Taylor Paden, Jr.

October 15, 1930 – March 1, 2023

Jackson Taylor Paden, Jr., age 92, passed away March 1, 2023, on a beautiful sunny afternoon at his home north of Sand Springs, Oklahoma. He was doing what he loved—puttering around on his acreage, raking a few leaves, burning a little brush, all down by his favorite spot at the pond. He often said his ideal way to go would be on his own property and on his own terms, and though his passing brings great sadness, we are grateful he remained active and able to the very end to enjoy the outdoors he cherished.

Jack, as he was affectionately known, was born on October 15, 1930, in Stilwell, Oklahoma.  Raised in the country, he learned resilience and self-reliance early in life and developed a lifelong love of nature. He graduated from Stilwell High School in 1950—where classmates remembered him as "the smart one"—and went on to earn a Bachelor of Science from Northeastern State College in Tahlequah in 1954. He completed his training as a medical technologist at Hillcrest Hospital in Tulsa.

Fortune smiled upon Jack while at Northeastern where the dormitory food was notoriously poor on Tuesdays, leading many students to a local restaurant known for great hot dogs. It was because of this that he met the love of his life, Mary Lois Dilday. Fate conspired with a perfectly timed rain shower and as Mary and her roommate were walking home, Jack and his friend offered them a ride. Destiny was set when she agreed to that first date. They married on August 1, 1953, at Trinity Methodist Church in Muskogee, Oklahoma. (Serendipity was strong that day as the roommate and the friend married too and were lifelong friends of Jack and Mary.)

Jack worked at Hillcrest Hospital for about ten years, before becoming the medical technologist in charge of the laboratories at Hissom Medical Center in Sand Springs. He retired in 1992 after working at Hissom for nearly 30 years. He had a fondness for the paper shell pecans that grew on the campus and often brought them home to share, cracking and picking the nutmeat carefully for the family to eat. In later years, he continued the tradition by sending his daughter five pounds of shelled pecans every year for her birthday, a gift she cherished. She will always think fondly of him when eating pecans.

Jack and Mary had three children—Larry, Paul, and Janet.  In 1972, the family moved from Tulsa's Riverside area to Sand Springs where Jack was able to return to his rural roots by buying 60 acres of beautiful rolling woods and meadow that would become his favorite place to be. He tinkered constantly on a wide variety of projects—grafting pecan shoots onto local walnut trees, raising bees, tending a large vegetable garden every year, clearing and fencing land, and chopping wood for the stove he installed himself. He especially loved mowing the five-acre stretch of lawn that extended down to the pond, creating a peaceful and idyllic haven.  It was there, in this place he loved most, that he spent his final moments.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Jack T. Paden, Sr. and Oma Rhoades Paden, and his twin sisters Virginia Paden and Juanita Paden Carter. Survivors include his wife Mary Lois Paden; three children Larry Paden, Paul Paden, and Janet Paden Dugan; daughters-in-law Carol McAlister Paden and Jeri Royer Paden; son-in-law Joel Dugan; grandchildren John Paden, Zachary Paden and partner Tatiana Gillespie, Katherine Paden, Robert Paden, and Pierce Paden Faulkner; and one great-granddaughter, Arya Paden Gillespie.

Jack was laid to rest at Memorial Park Cemetery in Muskogee, Oklahoma. A small family gathering celebrated his life, leaving him with a few tokens that reflected his spirit: his favorite goofy hat, his hot chocolate mug and spoon, a packet of Nesquik, his medical technologist lapel pin, and a placard reading "Black Dutch"—a treasured family joke. In his honor, we raised a toast with his daily elixir of apple cider vinegar and local honey in cold water. He swore this kept him healthy and although we teased him about it, it seemed to have served him well to a robust old age.

May he rest in peace, forever under Oklahoma's blue skies with warm sunshine and a gentle breeze.