Jacquelin Ann Taglia

Jacquelin Ann Taglia, 77, died Wednesday, March 7, 2012, at the Lakeland Regional Medical Center in St. Joseph, Michigan. Born on February 21, 1935 in Detroit to Harold and Ann Oldham, Jackie grew up in Huntington Woods and spent her summers at the family cottage on Walloon Lake not far from Petoskey. She attended Berkley High School and then Michigan State University where she earned a BA in English and Journalism in 1956. It was at Michigan State that she first met her future husband, Paul Anthony Taglia in 1954. He had come up from the University of Notre Dame to attend a dance. When he saw Jackie, he knew she was the one, and asked a mutual friend to introduce them. They immediately hit it off, and were married on September 7, 1957 after Paul finished his hitch in the Marines. After graduation from Michigan State and during the first couple of years of her marriage, Jackie worked as a journalist for the Gary Post-Tribune while Paul completed his law degree at Notre Dame. In 1959 they moved to St. Joseph, Michigan. Jackie believed passionately in trying to make the world a better place, in helping others, and in the value of literature, education, and learning. An enthusiastic organic gardener and dedicated environmentalist, she was a member of Highcliffe Terrrace Garden Club and a founding member of the Twin Cities Garden Council. She also held the position of secretary on the Sarret Nature Center’s board of directors for many years and was a founding member and executive officer of United for Survival. As a member of United for Survival, Jackie helped establish and manage the local recycling center (currently located at the St. Joseph Public Works Department) and pushed for the passage of Michigan’s returnable bottle legislation. She was involved in numerous other local environmental activities including the successful campaign to prevent the bald cypress “Old Baldy” from being cut down when the old county court house was demolished and the one to establish the Grand Mere nature area, thus guaranteeing that future generations would be able to enjoy these unique woods and wetlands. She also grew most of the vegetables that the family ate for years, including many varieties of lettuce, which she insisted were not covered with aphids, though her children knew better. Over the years Jackie served as a Girl Scout troop leader, trainer, troop organizer, cookie chairman and day camp co-chair. She also served on the Singing Sands Council executive board in various capacities including as first Vice President and Chairman of the Ecology Committee. In recognition of her dedication to the Girl Scouting movement, she received a lifetime membership certificate and the Thanks Badge, the Girl Scouting movement’s highest volunteer award. Jackie was a deeply spiritual person and devoted member of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. She served on various church committees including the flower guild, organized the annual women’s Quiet Day retreat, worked on the Memorial Garden, participated in the church’s prayer chain, and worked in its soup kitchen. She was especially thrilled that her three grandchildren were all baptized there. Jackie also was a board member of the Berrien County Association of Churches, Chair of the Endowment Fund for the Benton Harbor Street Ministry, and Chair of the Benton Harbor Street Ministry Committee. The Berrien County Bar association awarded Jackie their Liberty Bell award in 1999, the highest award that the association gives to a non-lawyer citizen. Jackie received other community awards including a Christian Service award presented by the Berrien County Association of Churches in 2008 and a certificate of appreciation from the Federated Garden Clubs of Michigan in 1991 for work on recycling and conservation. Jackie loved to read and she passed that love for reading to her children by taking time to read to them each night when they were growing up. She continued that tradition of reading out loud with her grandchildren and she also enjoyed tutoring children at the Benton Harbor Street Ministry. Her love for literature and for writing came perfectly together each Monday when she attended the Writers’ Bloc group at the Krasl Art Center. She took pleasure in workshopping her own poetry and in helping others become stronger writers. Jackie is survived by husband, Paul, and her children: Kathryn Ann Taglia married to Ross Leckie, of Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada, John Joseph Taglia of St. Joseph, and Daniel Paul Taglia, married to Catherine Taglia, of Valparaiso, Indiana. She is also survived by her three grandchildren, Zachary, Nicholas, and Alexander Taglia, and her sister Barbara (George) Robinson and her brother Daniel (Joyce) Oldham and a host of other relations and friends. She will be deeply missed. Cremation has already taken place. The funeral service will be held on Saturday, March 17th at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 914 Lane Drive, St. Joseph at 12:00 pm. Visitation at the church will be from 11:00 am to 12:00 pm prior to the service and a luncheon will follow the service. Memorial contributions may be made to the Sarett Nature Center (2300 Benton Center Rd., Benton Harbor, MI 49022) or St. Paul’s Episcopal Church. An online memory book has been set up at www. starks-menchinger.com.