Anthony Francis Jackett died peacefully in Provincetown on February 25th, ten days shy of his 87th birthday. He was surrounded by his loving wife, children and grand-children.
Born at home in Provincetown on March 15, 1924, the son of Antone P. Jaqueta of Figueira da Foz, Portugal and Mary Agnes (Mayo) Jackett of Provincetown, he was the youngest of seven children. Losing his mother to cancer at age 7, he was raised for four years by Angie Ramos, a family friend and then from age 11, by his beloved sister and brother-in-law Agnes and Louis Salvador. He attended Provincetown schools through the eighth grade, always giving credit to his teachers who tried very hard to keep him in school. He noted that his only regret in life was not graduating from high school.
At age16, he went to work for DeRiggs Ice Company delivering to East End residential ice boxes. He was proud of being entrusted with his own ice route at such a young age and being able to bring his $25/week paycheck home to Agnes and Louis. In 1942, he joined the 150th Combat Engineers Battalion of the US Army with basic training at Fort Devens, MA. He subsequently was transferred to the 348th Combat Engineers with whom he landed on Omaha Beach, Normandy on June 6, 1944 – D Day - witnessing all the horrors of the event. Until the end of World War II, he drove trucks throughout France and Great Britain, carrying supplies to the front lines.
Upon his return to Provincetown after the war and a brief venture in California, he began his fishing career, learning the trade from the best of the day, Henry Duarte, Joe Roderick, Freddie Salvador and his brother-in-law, Louis Salvador. He ran the F/V Plymouth Belle for 5 years before he was finally able to purchase it in 1960. The Plymouth Belle was the pride of his life; he and his crew maintained it impeccably, and he often noted that he was blessed to have been able to succeed in a career without an education, but gifted with a strong work ethic and a fine boat. He co-chaired the early Blessings of the Fleet and was proud to have driven the bishop in his Buick convertible. He was a member of the VFW and American Legion and past member of the local Lions Club. He drove for Meals on Wheels.
Following his retirement from fishing in 1988, he worked part time for the Cape Cod National Seashore, Clem and Ursies’s and Outer Cape Health. He enjoyed working with his hands creating driftwood furniture and shell mobiles and was a devoted Red Sox, Patriots and Celtics fan He and his wife, Priscilla, enjoyed traveling, especially to Mexico and on two occasions revisited the beachhead at Normandy, France.
In addition to his beloved wife of 31 years, Priscilla, Anthony is survived by his children, Tony Jackett and his wife Susan, Tommy Jackett, Amy Jackett and her friend Warren Alexander, David Perry and his wife Shirley; grand-children Braunwyn Jackett and her partner Nathaniel McKean , Beau Jackett and his wife Elizabeth, Luke Jackett, Kyle Jackett, Ava Worthington, Phoebe Deschenes and her husband Andrew, David John Perry and his wife Flavia, Alex Perry and his wife Yoe; great-grandchildren Etel Amato, Ezra and Iris McKean, Cole and Lucie Jackett, Cameron, Christian and Matthew Deschenes, Alex and Cole Perry, Melissa and Anthony Perry. Many nieces, nephews, great nieces, great nephews near and far complete the extended family that join the abundance of friends and his two kitties, Pedro Martini and Rossi Bistro who will miss him greatly.
He was predeceased by his parents, his brother Joseph Janard (USCG-retired), sisters Georgina Janard, Caroline Essex, Antoinette Gaspie, Agnes Salvador, Matilda Kacergis, and his first wife, Doris Jackett.
A celebration of Anthony’s life will be held at the Church of St. Mary of the Harbor, 517 Commercial Street, Provincetown on Saturday, March 26 at 11 a.m. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to The Provincetown Fishermen’s Memorial Fund, c/o Seamen’s Bank, PO Box 659, Provincetown, MA 02657, Att: Amanda Morris. The fund is to support a proposed bronze statue of a fisherman near/on MacMillan Pier as a way to commemorate the town’s rich fishing heritage.