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Jackson Williams Begoon was born on July 31, 1921, in New York, New York, to Gertrude Beatrix Williams, age 25, and George Flory Begoon, age 30. In Rye his family lived at 251 Greenhaven Road.
Jackson served as an officer in the U.S. Army Air Corps during World War II.
He joined the U. S. Armed Forces in World War II. During the war, he served as lieutenant in the Army Air Force and saw combat action in the South Pacific as a fighter pilot with the Fifth Air Force.
  Jackson was a member of the famous 49th Fighter Group. By the war's end, the group's pilots destroyed 668 enemy aircraft, a record surpassing that of any other fighter group in the Pacific Theater.
Jackson piloted The Lockheed P-38 Lightning. The P-38 was used most extensively and successfully in the Pacific Theater, where it proved more suited, combining exceptional range with the reliability of two engines for long missions over water. The P-38 was credited with destroying more Japanese aircraft than any other USAAF fighter.
The group's World War II activities merited two Philippines Republic Presidential Unit Citations, three U.S. Distinguished Unit Citations, and 10 battle honors.
Jackson was decorated with the Air Medal and three clusters.
After the war, he lived in Rye, NY for many years until his retirement in 1985, when he moved to Vero Beach, FL.
 During retirement, he was a member of the Moorings Club in Vero Beach where he was an avid tennis player and served on the board of Windward Condominiums.
He also volunteered in the literacy program of Vero Beach.
Jackson was graduated from the Peddie School and attended Wesleyan University where he was a member of Beta Theta Pi Fraternity.
He was a sales marketing manager for 25 years at Calloway Mills and Deering-Milliken in New York City. Later, he was Vice President of Braislin, Porter, and Wheelock, an industrial real estate firm, in White Plains, NY.
While living in Rye, NY he was a member of Westchester Country Club and The Coveleigh Club.
Jackson Williams Begoon, 85, died March 8, 2007 of cancer at Hospice House in Vero Beach, FL.
He was survived by his devoted wife of 59 years, Doris Adamson Begoon. He was also survived by three children and their spouses, Leslie Begoon Curtin and Andrew Gregg Curtin of Falls Church, VA; Jeffrey Adamson Begoon and Tiffany Nelson Begoon of New Canaan, CT; and David Jackson Begoon of Larchmont, NY. In addition, ''Papa Jack'' was also the proud grandfather of five grandsons: Jackson and Gregg Curtin, and Ryan, Casey and Max Begoon.
A memorial service was held at 11 a.m. on Tuesday, March 13, 2007 at Grace Chapel in The Community Church of Vero Beach, 1901 23rd Street, Vero Beach, FL 32960. Internment will be in Greenwood Union Cemetery, Rye, NY.
Published in the TC Palm on 3/10/2007
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