DOUGLAS L. JACKSON

DOUGLAS L. JACKSON Douglas Jackson, age 59, owner of Doug’s Flowers and Gifts, in Strong City, KS., entered into rest Monday, May 14, 2012, at his home with family and friends present. He had battled bone cancer for nearly a year. There will be a rosary, recited by Father Edmond Kline, Thursday, May 18, at 4:00 P.M., at St. Anthony Catholic Church in Strong City, KS. A celebration of life service, officiated by The Rev. Pat Ireland, will be held Friday, May 18, at 2:00 P.M. at the Chase County Elementary School in Strong City, KS. Interment will follow in the Strong City Cemetery in Strong City, KS. The son of Ralph E. and Emma (Sissy) Conklin Jackson (Studer), Douglas Lynn entered this world on February 22, 1953, in Strong City, KS. He attended Strong City Grade School and graduated from Strong City High School in the class of 1972. He attended one year of college. At the age of 10, Winnie and Clarence Conyers of Conyers’s Flowers in Marion, KS. gave him a chance to work weekends and summers for them and in his junior year in high school, he started selling artificial flower arrangements out of the front window of a downtown store. In 1971, he rented space in downtown Strong City and the business grew quickly enough that he rented the first floor and eventually bought the entire building. During this time, he held other jobs such as cooking, waiting tables, assisting at the local funeral homes, and working as an emergency medical technician, instructor and examiner. These jobs helped pay for Doug’s Flowers & Gifts which became one of Chase County’s more successful retail outlets. In the fall of 1988, the shop burnt to the ground and Doug lost his cat, Morris, in the fire. He re-built on the same location. That present building has survived two floods. The shop sells monuments/markers in addition to the usual floral and giftware merchandise, including crystal. He was a licensed assistant funeral director. Many of his friends teased him about adding to the meaning of the phrase "full-service florist." Doug was a good friend and took care of others when they needed him. He celebrated 40 years of business with his annual Open House the Sunday before Thanksgiving in 2011. It was always a festive occasion with 50% off the marked price of giftware and floral designs and plants and cookies and hot spiced cider. Megan, his niece, remembers that he always made jokes when she did something. He wasn’t serious around her. Shawn, his nephew, remembers the flowers, balloons, and Ty beanie babies he gave him. Doug’s Flowers & Gifts became a member of the FTD network in 1979. He received worldwide attention for his artistry and business skills. In the FTD organization, he was classified as one of FTD’s top ten florists for the member year in 1992. He served on FTD’s Convention Design Teams in Texas, New York, California, Hawaii, Nevada, and Canada. He was a FTD Master Florist and Master Florist Manager and has served as National Liaison for FTD. He was one of 25 florists selected to study under Hitomi Gillam and Jack Richards in the 1993 "Floral Interpretation of the Masters" in Bolivar, MO. at the prestigious Dunnegan Gallery of Art. In June of 1998, Doug was awarded the 1998 Business Appreciation Award by Kansas Governor Bill Graves for his contributions, not only to Strong City, but also the State of Kansas. He received the Greater Wichita Florists’ Associations Appreciation Award in 2003. He was a charter member of the World Flower Council and was selected to represent the U.S. on the design panel in Seoul, South Korea in 1985. He studied floral design in Korea, China, Taiwan, and the British Protectorate of Hong Kong. Doug served as a judge in floral design competitions across the United States. He was a floral designer and assistant floral construction supervisor of several floats in the Millennium Tournament of Roses in Pasadena, CA. He has participated in the America’s Cup Competition and later was in charge of the rules and design committees for the regional competition in St. Louis. He was a current member and past president of the Kansas State Florist Association and the Greater Wichita Florist Association. He was one of 17 florists chosen to create floral arrangements for the Atlanta Olympics. He developed and implemented a delivery system that was able to maximize efficiency in delivering floral arrangements to the different venues. He even designed floral arrangements for President Clinton. Doug was not only a business owner, but an active participant in the Chase County Community. He served on the Strong City Council and was mayor of Strong City, and with the help of a great council, balanced the budget, lowered taxes, and left the office with excess funds within two years. He was founder of the Strong City Preservation Alliance, served as president of the Strong City Chamber of Commerce, was a founding member of the Chase County Emergency Medical Services, retired Certified and Registered EMT for 15 years, former Emergency Management Director, Hazardous Materials instructor, CPR instructor, assistant EMT instructor at Emporia State University, Certified State EMS state board examiner, and OSHA instructor. He was a fund-raiser for Children’s Miracle Network and co-founder of Strong City Arts in the Park. Doug was honored for public service by governors Docking, Carlin, Finny, and Sebelius and a winner of the State Department of Commerce Award for public service. He sponsored and contributed to such organizations as 4-H, Chase County Days, Annual Christmas Homes Tour and Lighting Festival, Chase County Main Street program, and the YMCA Camp Wood. He is survived by his brother, Carl, and his wife, Brande, and their two children: Megan Lorene and Shawn Douglas. He was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Anita Jackson, and Roy and Nellie Conklin. At his request, there is no designated memorial. He prefers that "you send flowers in lieu of memorials." Friends may call Tuesday, from noon until 8:00, Wednesday, 9:00 until 8:00, Thursday, 9:00 until 3:00 at the Brown-Bennett-Alexander Funeral Home in Cottonwood Falls, KS. Following the rosary, the family will meet friends at St. Anthony’s Hall until 7:00. The casket will be open during the visitation hours and during the rosary. It will then be closed. Messages to the family may be left at www.brown-bennett-alexander.com.

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