Jackie Merle Noles James

Jackie Merle Noles James
October 7, 1935 – September 15, 2018

Jackie James of Roseland, Florida passed away peacefully on Saturday, September 15th after a brief illness.

Jackie was born and raised in Chattanooga, Tennessee. She graduated with a degree in Social Work from Tennessee Polytechnic University (TPI) and pursued her Master’s Degree at the College of William & Mary in Virginia. Fresh out of college, Jackie went to work for the Tennessee State Welfare Department where she assisted in developing the child protective services division.

After meeting Douglas James on a date with a friend, they eventually married and moved to Signal Mountain where they raised their daughters, Merle and Suzi, until their move to Florida in 1980. Jackie rediscovered her talents as a painter and musician and began buying and selling antiques and vintage clothing, painting furniture, and playing music. In 1993 she discovered and fell in love with the sleepy, old Florida community of historic Roseland and set down roots where she has been ever since, all the while staying true to her Southern heritage.

Jackie flourished in Roseland and immediately immersed herself in her community. She was a prime mover in the Roseland Task Force and in forming the Roseland Neighborhood Plan. Her southern charm and endearing nature often caught folks off guard and soon had them following in her wake to speak at County Commission meetings to do what was right for Roseland. She was fierce in protecting her community and its natural appeal and beauty.

In 2004 Jackie formed the Roseland Music Guild bringing together amateur and professional musicians who share the love of bluegrass, old gospel, and old country music. The guild continues to this day. She began with playing the autoharp and after receiving a fiddle for her 70th birthday, began lessons and was soon playing not only the fiddle and the autoharp but a banjo as well.

Over the years she has served on the boards of the Roseland Task Force, the Roseland Community Association and Friends of the St. Sebastian River, as well as the Roseland Women’s Club. Jackie, along with the county historian and a few residents of Roseland, worked for ten years to have a historic marker from the State of Florida placed at the Roseland Community Building. Most recently, she has been involved in the restoration of the Community Building working with the Women’s Club and Indian River County Commissioners to restore the building that has been the home of the Roseland Women’s Club for many years.

Jackie is survived by daughters, Merle James of Richmond, Virginia and Suzanne James of Fort Pierce, Florida; grandson, Benjamin Bradshaw of Chicago, and Ellington Braun of Richmond, Virginia; her sister, Bebe May of Pensacola; and nieces, Debbie Lertora of Rome, Italy, Ginger Bertini of Milan, Italy, and Terri Galanides of Pensacola as well as many other cousins, and great nieces and nephews. Jackie was preceded in death by her parents, Ernest and Jessie Grace Noles and her former husband, Douglas James.

A “Gathering of Friends” will be held on Saturday, September 29th, at 2:00 PM, at the Roseland Fire Hall, 8025 129th Court, Roseland, Florida 32957.

In lieu of flowers, Jackie requested that contributions be made to the Roseland Women’s Club, P.O. Box 342, Roseland, Florida 32957 or to the Roseland Volunteer Fire Department.