Jacquelyn Gail (Sweany) Williams was the daughter of William Frank Sweany and Freda Agnes Craig, parents who met at an early age and were married for 65 years. The family attended the First Christian Church of Weirton. Most of their big family lived in New Philadelphia, Ohio, and Hohenwald, Tennessee. Jackie attended elementary, middle, and high school in Weirton, West Virginia, the home of Weirton Steel, where her father was a successful accountant. Bill and Freda encouraged Jackie in both choral singing and education. However, as soon as Jackie completed high school, she refused a choral scholarship to pursue a BA Degree in Education at West Virginia University. Instead, she became an English teacher and later earned an MA Degree in School Counseling. Not long afterwards, Jackie taught school in Weirton. She would eventually teach in West Virginia, North Carolina, and Georgia but ultimately taught in the gorgeous City of Savannah, where she loved to stroll around town on foot. Jackie loved teaching school, helping children, caring for cats and dogs, and enjoying special time with her friends. She was very proud of her beautiful historic home on 407 E Jones Street in Savannah with its floral courtyard (and large Doberman statue) and another house that she later built by the river.

Jackie was a great teacher who taught all subjects while specializing in English. She always went to school with a positive attitude. After she retired from teaching in North Carolina, she taught for an additional ten years in Savannah. She never wanted to quit her job, even after 45 years, because she loved helping children succeed in life. She would have continued to work beyond the age of 80 if the local public schools had extended her contract! Even when others told her to retire, she refused to do so because Jackie had a strong will and was proud of being hard-headed.

Jackie had highly proficient communication skills that served her well both in and out of class. People who met her have remarked that she was memorable. When there was a small group of people, she was the center of attention, telling fascinating stories as would be expected of people with her ESFJ personality type. Moreover, strong communicative skills gave her an edge in life.

Jackie considered her cousin Judy to be the same as a sister because Jackie didn't have siblings. She cherished her friends, some of which included Erlene, Janice, Maria, Mary, TJ, and Griff. She always enjoyed visiting Sarah and Frank in Tennessee. Of course, she had numerous other friends and acquaintances with whom she faithfully kept in contact over the years. Jackie loved to send them traditional paper cards and to give them little gifts. On the other hand, she didn't like to use the internet, missing out on many of the photos her grandchildren would have liked to share.

Jackie traveled to some foreign countries, including Italy, England, France, and Mexico (to mention a few) with her dear friend. However, she preferred living in the United States, where she had strong roots. Once asked if she would consider moving abroad, she said it was out of the question because she enjoyed talking and only knew English.

As a child, she wasn't allowed to have pets because her mother didn't want to deal with them. Therefore, Jackie made up for that by raising her beloved dogs and cats. Her cats Snip and Stripe lived a total of sixteen years, bringing tears to her eyes when they passed away! She was raising the black cat Sam (6-years-old) and the white-spotted cat Mimi (age unknown) when she passed away. Her pets certainly brought her great pleasure and were mentioned numerous times in her last words. 

Jackie wanted to write a book about her experiences teaching. She had begun to write a chapter before she had a few problems with her health. Her daughter always said it would have been interesting to share so much information about decades of teaching spanning from the 1960s to the 2000s. All the same, Jackie persisted in being a strong, assertive woman who stubbornly remained in her house until a few days before her demise, having refused to go to live with any of her children.

Jacquelyn Gail Williams is survived by 3 children, 6 grandchildren, and 1 great-granddaughter. Her children are Laura Gail Sweeney, Bill Frank Williams, and Rebecca Lynne Redovan. Her grandchildren include Joshua, Sean, Francesca, Giovanni, Carmen, and Susan. In addition, Jackie was thrilled to welcome her great-granddaughter Meadow in 2020.

Jacquelyn Gail Williams (born Sweany) is buried at the Evergreen Memorial Park in New Philadelphia, Ohio, near her beloved father, mother, and generations of family members.

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