Jackie Kimbrell

Apr 8, 1953 -

Sep 5, 2020

Jackie Kimbrell, a devoted sister and friend who cherished her dogs and her time in the outdoors, died Sept. 5, 2020, after a tough, two-year fight with cancer. She was 67.

Jackie was in charge of her life to the very end. She had been at the University of Washington Medical Center since early August, and the week before her death she made the decision to stop treatment. She died with her sister Shirley at her side.

Jackie worked for 35 years as a page-builder and paginator for the Anchorage Daily News, where she was a newsroom mainstay. She was the lead page-builder for the newspaper's "People in Peril" series, the 1989 Pulitzer Prize winner for public service.

Her grace, humor, steady hand and good company left a mark on all who knew her. She wasn't afraid of hard work, whether it was tending her yard, field dressing a moose or building pages on deadline.

Her work ethic was unsurpassed. Told to leave early on the last day of her career, Jackie stayed for hours to tie up loose ends and train those taking on her workload.

She delighted in sharing her yard with friends and telling them when and where everything was planted, including her thriving peonies. Every spring, she drove to Glennallen, Alaska, to help her sister, Joyce, plant over 100 flower baskets and planters around the house and yard. The massive aloe plant that lived in a western window of her home bloomed every year and produced numerous baby plants given to friends.

Jackie was born April 8, 1953, in Farmington, N.M,, to Johnny and Marie Kimbrell. After moving throughout the Western United States, the family moved to Anchorage, Alaska, in 1964.

Jackie graduated from West High School in 1972. She worked at The Anchorage Times before joining the Daily News during the newspaper war of the 1980s. She left the ADN in 2017 and was enjoying her retirement until she was diagnosed with cancer in 2018.

Fishing and hunting in Alaska and beachcombing in Hawaii were among her favorite activities. Family and friends were very important to her, and she always had an open door for those needing a place to stay or those interested in a cup of coffee or a glass of wine, depending on the time of day.

She loved her dogs, including the two she leaves behind, Charlie and Copper. The outgoing message on her voicemail said it all: "This is Jackie. I'm out playing with the dogs. Give me a call later."

Jackie is survived by her sisters, Shirley (Delmar) of Idaho; nieces, Melody, Barbara and Diane; Joyce (Don) of Glennallen; nephews, Jim and Scott; and nephew, Donnie Sharp. She also leaves behind dear friends Lorraine Radigan, Bette Gilliland, Teri Cunningham, Mike Lewis and many others.

She was preceded in death by her father and mother, Johnny and Marie; her brother, Pete Kimbrell; and her nephew, Lonnie Kimbrell.

A private family service will be held later this month with burial in Glennallen.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests making a donation to a charity of your choice, in Jackie's name.