THE DALLAS POST SUNDAY, JUNE 9, 2013 JACKSON Continued from Page 1 When given the opportunity to select a presenter, Ted. Jr. was a no-brainer. He played for his father at Dallas and the two coached side-by-side for years with Ted Jr. running the Mountaineers offense. The two will be together on the football field again this fall when Ted Sr. joins the coach- ing staff at Wyoming Valley West where Ted Jr. is the offensive coordinator. After being replaced at Dallas following a hotly-contested school board decision, Ted Sr. spent a year as a member of the Misericordia University football coaching staff when that school re-instituted the sport to its athletic program. “It was challenging,” Ted said of the time he spent with the Cougars. “All the kids were new to me. I was learning as much as they were, reading and learning a system that wasn’t my own. “The kids were great, though,” he added, indicating he had just concluded a spring practice session with the college players. As for the decision of the Dallas School Board, Ted says it was “absolutely wrong” to fire him. “They didn’t only lose me, they lost nine coaches,” he said, adding that all of his as- sistants left with him. “And, they didn’t fol- low their own protocol.” The Jacksons have a filed a lawsuit against the Dallas School District in the case. That aside, Ted and Sandy’s life has al- ways and continues to revolve around foot- ball. Sandy was a regular at Dallas football games and, last year, became a fan of the Misericordia football team. Both Ted and Sandy attended Valley West football games because of Ted Jr.’s involvement with the team and Sandy, no doubt, will become a fixture at Spartans’ games this year. “My dad died during football season one year,” Sandy said, “and we made sure to plan his funeral around the football sched- ule.” Daughter Jill arrived during a bye week of the year she was born and made her first public appearance at a Mountaineer foot- ball game when she was just two weeks old. Although his coaching style was some- times controversial, Ted’s success on the football field cannot be denied. The livingroom of the Jacksons’ Belford Street home is filled with memorabilia from Ted’s coaching days at Dallas, a ca- reer that ended with a 231-76-3 record, making him the winningest coach in school history. In 27 seasons, his Mountaineer teams won 15 Wyoming Valley Conference titles, three District 2 titles, four Eastern Confer- ence titles and the PIAA Class A state title in 1993. He produced undefeated regular sea- sons in 1994 and 2010 and his teams had a 24-game winning streak from 1993-1994. Ted is a 15-time Wyoming Valley Con- ference Coach of the Year, a Big 33 game assistant coach in 1995 and led the East to victory in 2001 as head coach of the PS- FCA East/West Game. He was named Best High School Athlet- ic Coach in the Back Mountain in The Dal- las Post’s Best of the Back Mountain read- er contest for five consecutive years from 2008-2013. He was also named Coach of the Decade by the Citizens’ Voice in 2009 and was inducted into the Luzerne County Sports Hall of Fame in 2011. Ted’s coaching style leads to some seri- ous story-telling, a lot of which went on during a banquet honoring him last year and attended by more than 400 people. And both Ted and Sandy don’t hesitate to join in the story-telling. Ted will tell you his players were not allowed to remove their helmets during practice without permission from a coach, attesting to his strict disciplinary style. “I remember we lost to Crestwood one CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK PHOTOS/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Ted Jackson Sr., remembers 1993, his award-winning year as head football coach at Dallas High School when the team won a state championship title with a t-shirt presented to him by Dallas Post Photographer Charlotte Bartizek. time and we shouldn’t have,” he said. “I made them wear their helmets home. That’s when I got yelled at by mothers.” Sandy remembers a time when the Mountaineers played an afternoon game on a day the prom was being held in the evening. “The team had lost and Ted made them stay on the field and practice,” she said, in- terrupting her husband when he began to tell the story. “All the mothers were wait- ing to take their kids home to get ready for the prom. I was waiting for Ted with my mom and dad. One of the mothers came up to me and said, ‘What’s wrong with your parents?’ I said, ‘Excuse me’ and the mother asked, ‘How could they let you marry a maniac like that?” Stories like that have been told time and time again, some at the many weddings of former Dallas football players which Ted and Sandy have attended and many more will be told at the four graduation parties of Mountaineers players to which they have been invited this year. Strict discipline has been a part of Ted's entire life and punishment for wrong- doings as a boy always involved getting a haircut. “When I did something wrong, I'd have to go to the barbership on a Saturday morn- ing,” he said. “There was one chair, eight old guys and I'd have to wait my turn. It took me four hours to get a haircut. All my friends would walk by and laugh at me.” Although Sandy says people everywhere have been supportive and she has never heard a bad word about her husband in public, whether she’s at church or in the grocery store, both she and Ted some- times feel like they’ve “been torn from the community.” The Jacksons, though, along with their children, have remained steadfast to each other and to Teds coaching career. The football community, obviously with Ted’s most recent accolades, continues to ap- plaud his coaching ability. Locals graduate from Wilkes University Some 746 doctoral, master’s and bachelor’s degrees were awarded as Wilkes University for the first time held separate commence- ment ceremonies for graduate and undergraduate students on May 18 in the Arnaud C. Marts Sports & Conference Center. Heather Abrams of Wyoming, received the Bachelor of Arts degree in History. Christopher Antall of Dallas, received the Master of Science degree in Electrical Engineering. Kelsey Augustine of Shaver- received the Master of Science degree in Education. Kimberly Niezgoda of Dallas, received the Doctor of Educa- tion degree in Higher Education Administration. Brian Redmond of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Arts degree in History. John Sweeney of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Morgan Thomas of Dallas, received the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Pharmacy. degree in English. Administration. Ashley Zerfoss of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Arts Blake Mackesy of Shavertown, received the Doctor of Educa- tion degree in Higher Education Scott Skammer of Dallas, re- ceived the Bachelor of Business Admin. degree in Management. Nicholas Sobeck of Trucksville, received the Bachelor of Busi- ness Admin. degree in Business Administration. Lauren Yurko of Dallas, re- ceived the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Pharmacy. Seth Johnston of Tunkhannock, received the Bachelor of Busi- ness Admin. degree in Finance. Jacqueline Layaou of Tunkhan- nock, received the Master of Science degree in Education. Andrew Razawich of Tunkhan- nock, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Mechanical Engineering. town, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. George Behlke of Wyoming, received the Doctor of Pharmacy degree in Pharmacy. Matthew Boyle of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Sci- ence degree in Environmental Engineering. Kelly Bridger of Wyoming, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Accounting. Stephen Cheskiewicz of » 3 MEADOWS AUXILIARY 29™ ANNUAL ae ‘Saturday June 15th, 2013 9:00 AM - 3:00 PM Monroe Township, received the (Rain date June 22) Doctor of Education degree in Educational Technology. Eric Danko of Dallas, eceived the Bachelor of Science degree OVER 120 VENDORS in Mechanical Engineering. Lyndsay Ellis of Shavertown, RAFFLE BASKETS received the Bachelor of Arts ODDS & ENDS degree in Psychology. Brittani Giampietro of Dallas, Eniov h BOOKS * PLANTS received the Bachelor of Science njoy Lunc Bake Sale degree in Nursing. At ER CRAFTS * JEWELRY & Marissa Harrison of Shaver- SO MUCH MORE! town, received the Doctor of Pavilion y Entertainment Pharmacy degree in Pharmacy. Sarah Jones of Trucksville, received the Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish. Thomas Mike of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Biology. Noelle Miller of Shavertown, received the Bachelor of Science degree in Nursing. Daniel Natitus of Trucksville, Meadows Nursing & Rehabilitation Center 4 East Center Hill Rd. ¢ Dallas 675-8600 ext. 195 or 115 Cd CHARLOTTE BARTIZEK FILE PHOTO/ FOR THE DALLAS POST Susan and Jim Schilling, of Dallas, receive a framed baseball shirt (#31) from Dylan Pilger and the Dallas High School base- ball team. Their son, Jason Schilling, a former member of the team, was killed in a car accident on Dec. 1, 2012. GRIEF Continued from Page 1 “I've never gone through grief counseling,” said Fike. “But, this woman is a fabulous person and very concerned about people. I wanted to do something to help even one person move forward. Sometimes, we get stymied in our grief and need help moving on. These sessions will provide help for anyone who can use some guidance.” Lynch, the son of Liz deLeur Lynch, was scheduled to gradu- ate from Dallas High School in June 2012. A Boy Scout, he earned his Eagle Scout badge on his birthday on Dec. 21, 2011. Lynch had enlisted in the U.S. Army and was scheduled to re- port to Fort Benning, Ga., on Aug. 8, 2012, with ambitions to be a Cavalry Scout. Cecilia “CC” Besecker, daugh- ter of Terri and Robert Besecker Jr., of Dallas, was killed in au- tomobile accident in the Allen- town area on June 28, 2012. At the time of her death, the Dal- las High School graduate was attending Indiana University of Pennsylvania and studying fash- ion merchandising. In addition to her parents, CC left behind her twin sister, Courtney; her older brother, Patrick, of Harrisburg; and her younger brother, Andrew. Eighteen-year-old Corey Eh- ret, of Dallas, lost his three-year battle with cancer on July 22, 2012. He graduated from Dallas High School on June 15, 2012. Ehret was employed by the Irem Temple Country Club Golf Pro Shop and had been accepted into the College of Engineer- ing at Penn State, Wilkes-Barre campus. Surviving, in addition to his parents, are brothers, his twin, Christopher J.; and Brenden C., both at home. Family and friends came out to the pavilion at the Harveys Lake Beach Club at Sandy Bot- tom Beach on a beautiful Sun- day afternoon last summer to celebrate the life of Kelci Gib- bons, who was killed in a car crash on July 24, 2012. Well-wishers wore tie-dye and showed peace signs to offer their support and share stories of Gib- bons’ life and accomplishments in a moving show of “peace and love” for the 22-year-old Dallas High School graduate. Gibbons attended Cazenovia College, Cazenovia, N.Y.; Hart- wick College, Oneonta, N.Y; and King’s College, Wilkes Barre. She leaves behind her par- ents, Raymond R. and Kelly McCue Gibbons, of Dallas; an older brother, Brian, of Dallas; and an an identical twin sister, Michelle, of Dallas. Jason Schilling, of Dallas, was killed in a one-car cras Kunkle-Alderson Road on 1, 2012. The 18-year-old left behind his parents, Jim and Susan, and a brother, Steven. He was enrolled at Luzerne County Community College, Nanticoke, and was about to be- gin employment at Jack Frost/ Big Boulder Ski Resort in the Terrain Park, Carbon County. Five-year-old Kevin Miller, of Dallas, lost his life when he was hit by a hit-run driver on Friday, Dec. 21, 2012, when leaving a Christmas party with his family in Wilkes-Barre. The young boy leaves behind his parents, Dr. Stephen F. Mill- er and attorney Caroline (Pre- bola) Miller; his twin brother, Christopher; and older brother, Stephen. Jacob Philip Specht, 13, of Kingston Township, died unex- pectedly Sunday, June 2, 2013, at his home. He was born in Wilkes-Barre and was an eighth-grade student at the Dallas Middle School. He was active with the concert band, playing the trombone, track and cross-country run- ning. He is survived by his par- ents, Philip and Michelle Trav- er Specht; brothers, Philip Jr. and triplets Joshua, Chase and Noah. Crys Jennings, administrato: of the Back Mountain Academy, said pre-registration for the grief therapy sessions is requested by not required. Anyone inter- ested in registering may do so by email at backmtnacademy@ gmail.com. 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