May 31, 1932 - February 20, 2020
LACONIA-----Jacqueline Ann Pelkie went to be with her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on February 20, 2020.
She was preceded in death by her parents, Ralph and Mildred (Sanborn) Theall, her brothers Ralph, Conrad, and Sheldon Theall, and her husband of 67 years, Robert Elden Pelkie. She is survived by her five sons, Chris (N.Y.), Craig (Calif.), Brian (Fla.), Daren (N.C.), and Devon (Wash.), her nine grandchildren, one great granddaughter, her beloved niece, Sandy Carlson (N.H.), and brother- and sister-in-law, Clarence and Lorraine Pelkie (N.Y.).
Jackie passed peacefully from natural causes at the age of 87, at Ledgeview in the Taylor Community of Laconia, within a mile of her birthplace on Mechanic Street, her childhood home on Belvidere Street, and not far from Laconia High School, from which she graduated. It was in a high school chemistry class where she met her soon-to-be husband Robert. Though they moved away to Endicott, N.Y., and Naples, Fla., and travelled extensively, they were drawn to spend their final years in Laconia, where they met monthly with high school classmates from more than 60 years earlier.
While Robert worked as an engineer at IBM, Jackie busied herself raising five sons. She was a prolific reader and passed this on to her sons, teaching the oldest son, Chris, to read before the age of three, and her niece Sandy to read and write by the age of four, rewarding her with teaberry gum. She belonged to a "Friends of the Library" club that promoted reading in her community in Endicott. She also worked with the Department of Social Services, traveling to the homes of elderly people to help them apply for benefits for which they were eligible.
She insisted each of her sons take piano lessons, leading to four of them becoming musicians, and she made sure that each learned to swim during lessons at the YMCA. All her sons recall what an incredible memory their mother had and her ability to remember names and details from her childhood to recent events. More importantly, she insisted on their spiritual education, managing to get the five boys dressed and ready for church on time each Sunday, passing along the heartfelt lessons from her mother, Mildred. Her favorite songs were "Rock of Ages" and "How Great Thou Art." Her sons recall her as an extremely caring mother who was always encouraging, and who "felt every thorn in their sides, wishing to take on their pain for them." Her two oft-repeated bits of advice to her sons were "never lie to yourself," to ensure they took responsibility for their choices, and "never wish your life away" when one of them looked to the future without fully appreciating that day.
Jackie enjoyed decorating her home with themed areas throughout, combining antique glass, toys, documents, and knickknacks. Her visitors took pride in bringing her gifts to add to each area. She enjoyed crafts and built a beeswax candle hobby into a business with national distribution during the 1980s.
Jackie passed her most valued possession, a grandfather clock, on to her granddaughter, Alessandra. The clock was built by her own grandfather, George Sanborn, and was rescued when George and his son carried it to a boat and rowed it to the middle of the lake during the great fire that consumed much of Lakeport on May 26, 1903.
Many years ago, Jackie wrote in a family journal:
"I do have compassion for persons whom I feel are misused, disabled, lonely and afflicted. I particularly want people to have enough food to eat. We never went hungry per se but there were times in the 1930s and 1940s when our cup did not runneth over. So my very favorite thing I do each year during the holidays is to give sums of money to the Open Door Mission and Salvation Army. God has richly blessed us beyond all our needs and we must share."
In Laconia, Jackie and Robert were frequent contributors to the Salvation Army, 177 Union Avenue, Laconia NH 03246 and to the St. Vincent de Paul Society's Food Pantry, PO Box 6123, Laconia NH 03247, stating, "you can never out give God." Her sons ask that gifts in their parents' memory be contributed to these charities as well.
The family thanks all the folks at Taylor Community and CNH Hospice who spent time with Jackie and who made her final years more pleasant.
Wilkinson-Beane-Simoneau-Paquette Funeral Home & Cremation Services, 164 Pleasant Street, Laconia NH is assisting the family with the arrangements. For more information and to view an online memorial go to www.wilkinsonbeane.com.