Eileen Brown Jackovich
Eileen was born Hazel Eileen Brown in Champaign, Illinois July 19, 1925. After high school, she went to work at Chanute Air Force Base in Rantoul, Illinois. In 1947, she transferred to the Navy Department in Washington DC, bravely boarding a train by herself for a new life. She lived in Arlington Farms, a residence hall for young ladies, which was located across from the Pentagon where she worked.
While walking through the residence hall one day, she was spied by a handsome young Air Force pilot who was waiting for a different young lady, the one he was dating…until that moment. After seeing Eileen, Captain Edward Jackovich of Woodward, Iowa knew he had found his own Ace co-pilot. On June 11, 1949, they were married in Champaign Illinois, and they honeymooned in St. Louis, Missouri.
While moving 38 times with the love of her life, Eileen and Ed moved back to Illinois, then lived in the United Kingdom, Missouri, Arizona, Colorado, Virginia, Georgia, Nevada, Texas, back to Virginia, Minnesota, California, North Carolina, back to Texas, until they finally settled for good in Arizona in 1995. Preceding Eileen in death in 2013 was her husband, Edward. She was also preceded in death by her younger brother Everett Brown (age 94) in Champaign in October 2022, and her older brother Ross Brown, Jr. (age 99) who passed away in Jonesboro, Arkansas on the same day as his sister, July 20, 2023.
Survivors include: a son, Mark, and his wife Pam, of Savannah, Georgia; a daughter, Carol Ewing, and her husband Jerry, of Mesa, Arizona. She is also survived by her four grandchildren: Allison Jackovich of Austin, Texas; Katie Ewing Ray and husband Mike Ray of Mesa, Arizona; Scott Ewing of Tempe, Arizona; and Caroline Jackovich of Beaufort, South Carolina. Allison blessed her with two great-grandchildren, Malik and Lyric. Katie and Mike blessed her with three instant great-grandchildren; Chloe, Trailynn and Sabin; and now three great-great-grandchildren; Cacheten, Wailynn and River. She is also survived by her adopted granddaughter, Deana Ewing. Eileen died July 20, 2023, the day after her 98th birthday. She will be interred with her beloved husband at the National Memorial Cemetery of Arizona. The inscription on the stone will read “Together Forever” per her request. The family would like to thank the staff and residents of Mesa Christian Health and Rehabilitation for their many years of devoted care of Eileen and her family.
Arrangements by Bunker’s University Chapel, www.bunkerfuneral.com. Should this obituary appear anywhere but bunkerfuneral.com, please check our website for accurate details and service information.
My most sincere condolences to Carol and Jerry. It is very difficult to lost a parent no matter what age that parent lives to be. A Mother is with us forever, first in her life, then forever in our memory. Luke.