Linda Kay Mann

Linda "Kay" Jackson Mann passed peacefully from this life on April 4, 2023, surrounded by friends and family.

Kay Jackson Mann is survived by her husband Tom; her daughter Wendi (Eric) Johnson; grandson Jake, granddaughter Sophie; sister Jane Walsmith; Nieces Melissia (Paul) Pletcher, Valerie (Ricky) Hewett, Melonie Kay (Cary) Rhodes; great nieces Lauren Goodson and Teigen Rhodes; great nephews Nicholas (Ashleigh) Rhodes, Hunter Rhodes; great-great niece Braelyn Goodson; great-great nephews Bryson Goodson and Cooper Rhodes.

Kay is preceded in death by her dad J. Albert Jackson and her mom Lillie Mae Jackson; her sister Loye Dean Jackson; brother Norman Edwin Jackson and sister-in-law Jo Nell Jackson.

Visitation will be April 6, 2023, from 4-8 pm at A.S. Turner Funeral Home. A memorial service will be held at Oakhurst Baptist Church on May 13, 2023, at 3 P.M.

Kay was born on November 16, 1947, in Mayo, Florida. Kay became a Christian and was baptized at a young age in the Suwannee River. She graduated from Lafayette County High School in 1965 and then went to the University of Florida and graduated with honors with her B.S. degree in nursing in 1969. With her first love Robert Deen, they had their daughter Wendi. They lived in many different states during the course of ministry, and she practiced nursing in each of these states. In 1969 Kay was appointed to the Southern Baptist Home Mission Board and sent to the Little Havana section of Miami, Florida . She was a great Christian example throughout her life and even close to the end she witnessed to others in word and deed.

She settled in Atlanta in 1978 where she began her career with Grady Hospital. She specialized in high- risk prenatal care for several years. Her focus then shifted to diabetes education which became a passion, and educated many beyond the scope of her job helping anyone she knew. One of Kay's proudest accomplishments was fighting for and getting the rights for moms to be able to see and hold their stillborn babies.

When her 1st marriage dissolved instead of going home to her small hometown she chose to stay in Atlanta with her daughter and continue building their life together. In November of 1984 Kay met Tom and it didn't take long for love to take hold. He became her lifelong sweetheart, and they were married on August 10, 1985. For 37 years he was by her side. He cared for her through many ups and downs. Together they cared for his mother Elsie and even brought her into their home to live. Tom supported Kay through life, typed her papers while she was in grad school and kept her laughing through the years.

She retired from Grady in 2008 after 30 years of loving and caring for the people of Atlanta. Kay went back to college in her late 50s to pursue her dream of becoming a Nurse Practitioner and graduated at the age of 59 with a GPA of 3.96 from Georgia State University.

Kay was an active member of Oakhurst Baptist Church for 45 years where she built a family and community. She served as a Deacon as well as chairman of several committees. She made many dear, lifelong friends at church.

Kay devoted her entire personal and professional life to caring for others. She always put others before herself even at the end of her life. Kay was loved by everyone who knew her and made friends everywhere she went. Give her 5 minutes and she would know your life story- because she truly cared. She touched lives to the very end, even being visited by nurses who cared for her during her last hospital stay.

Kay was an award-winning seamstress, made her own wedding dress and sang at her wedding. She was known for her fun, spunky, upbeat and silly personality. She loved travel and adventures. She loved to do puzzles, crochet, latch hook, collecting, hanging out with her family. Kay was always willing to try something new. A more loving, nonjudgmental person you would never meet. If you were down, she was the person to talk to. Kay loved with her whole heart.

In lieu of flowers the family knows that Kay would have loved donations to the American Diabetes Association.

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