JACKSON BEATRICE COSBY JACKSON (Age 100) Of Washington, DC, passed away peacefully on June 15, 2015, with her devoted daughters by her side. Mrs. Jackson was born in 1915 in Louisa County, Virginia, the last of seven surviving children of nine born to Phil and Matilda Cosby. She graduated from Virginia Randolph School in Glen Allen, Virginia, attended Hampton Institute and St. Paul's College in Virginia and taught in a one-room schoolhouse in Louisa County. She moved to DC as a young adult and married George H. Jackson, a DC native who served in the Army during WWII, earning a Bronze Star for his contributions during the Normandy Beach invasion. Their marriage produced four children - three daughters and a son. After the children became of school-age, she returned to the workforce, retiring as a social worker for the DC Government. She placed a very strong emphasis on education, making reading a priority for her children at a very young age. Undaunted by the barriers faced by a person of her race and gender at the time, she, with her husband, George, took advantage of every available opportunity to expose their children to literature, science and the arts. Mrs. Jackson was an avid reader, devoted to puzzles and word games, loved to travel with George and their children. She joined Vermont Avenue Baptist Church shortly after moving to DC and remained a member of the church for many decades. Her husband, George, passed away in 1997; her son, George, the youngest of their four children, passed away in 1984. Last year, Beatrice lost her son-in-law, James Avery, known for his role as the father in "Fresh Prince of Bel Air". Mrs.Jackson is survived by her daughters, Dr. Barbara Avery, Vice President of Student Affairs at Occidental College, Los Angeles, CA, Dr. Shirley Ann Jackson, President of Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, Troy, NY and Gloria Joseph, retired labor lawyer, Great Falls, VA. She is also survived by grandchildren, Kevin Waters, Binghamton, NY, Alan Washington and Jamaar Joseph, both of New York City, NY; Brian Jackson, Danielle Jackson and Vanessa Jackson, all of Washington, DC; sons-in-law, physicist Dr. Morris Washington of Troy, NY and retired labor lawyer, Maurice Joseph of Great Falls, VA; and a host of great-grandchildren, nieces, nephews, other relatives and friends. A service in her memory will be held on Monday, June 29 at 1 p.m. at the Andrew Rankin Memorial Chapel of Howard University, 6th and Howard Place, N.W., Washington, DC, 202-806-7280. In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the United Negro College Fund, 1805 7th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 or online at give.uncf.org .In lieu of flowers, contributions in her memory may be made to the United Negro College Fund, 1805 7th Street, N.W. Washington, DC 20001 or online at give.uncf.org