Sir (John) Edward Jackson, KCMG, (1925-2002)

[Michael Rhodes]

Sir (John) Edward Jackson, KCMG, who died suddenly, 8 May, 2002, aged
76, was a diplomat, & former Head of the Defence Department at the
Foreign & Commonwealth Office, and was a British Ambassador to Cuba,
and to Belgium.

He was 24 June, 1925, a son of Edward and Margaret Jackson, and was
educated at Ardingly, and at Corpus Christi College, Cambridge.

He served in the RNVR as a Sub-Lieutenant, 1943-46; & he joined the
Foreign (now Diplomatic) Service in 1947.

Career: at the Foreign Office for two years until 1949; 3rd Secretary
at Paris, 1949-52; 2nd Secretary, Foreign Office, 1952-56; 1st
Secretary at Bonn, 1956-59; Guatemala City, 1959-62; Foreign Office,
1963-68; NATO Defence College, Rome, 1969; Counsellor (Political
Adviser) British Military Government at Berlin, 1969-73; Head of the
Defence Department, Foreign & Commonwealth Office, 1973-75; Ambassador
to Cuba, 1975-79.

Sir Edward was Head of the UK Delegation to Negotiations on Mutual
Reduction of Forces and Armaments and Associated Measures in Central
Europe, with personal rank of Ambassador, 1980-82.

He was Ambassador to Belgium, 1982-85; Chairman Brecon Beacons Natural
Waters Ltd, later Spadel Ltd, 1985-96 (Vice-Chairman, Consultancy
Board, 1997-2000); was a Director of Herbert Mueller Ltd and associate
companies, 1987-90.

Sir Edward was a director of the Armistice Festival, 1986-89; Chairman
of the Anglo-Belgian Society from 1987; Deputy Chairman, the
Belgo-Luxembourg Chamber of Commerce from 1987; a Trustee of the
Imperial War Museum, 1986-95; Vice-President of the International
Yehudi Menuhin Foundation (formerly the International Menuhin
Foundation), 1991-99, &c.

He was a Director of the Royal Anglo-Belgian Club from 1993.

Jackson was appointed CMG in 1977, and advanced to KCMG in 1984.

He married in 1952, Eve Stainton Harris, daughter of George James
Harris, MC, and Mrs Friede Rowntree Harris, of York, by whom he had
two sons, Toby and Hugo, and a daughter, Caroline.

A Service of Thanksgiving is to be held at Chelsea Old Church, on
Thursday 4 July, 2002, at 2.30 p.m.

...Michael Rhodes.