Jacqueline Florence Milbourn

Jacqueline Florence Milbourn (Jackie), 86, a longtime resident of Overland Park Kansas passed away on January 16, 2018.

Jackie was born November 14, 1931 in Eaton Rapids Michigan to James and Margaret Grant. Jackie grew up in southeastern Michigan, spending summers “Up North” near Traverse City. Jackie was adventurous, fun loving, kind, and enjoyed the northern outdoors. She loved Lake Michigan, sand dunes, boating, and long summer nights with family and friends. Jackie was a beautiful and hardworking teenager and she often found interesting jobs during the summer months. One summer, while working in Harbor Springs, Michigan Jackie modeled for Seventeen Magazine. She would attend the University of Michigan in 1949 and ultimately graduate from Albion college with a degree in education in 1954. In 1955, Jackie married John David Milbourn, a US Army Private First Class, in Stuttgart, Germany. She spent her honeymoon and the following year living and traveling through Europe before returning to the states. Jackie taught elementary school for several years and loved children. She taught her students and later her children that there was never a question that shouldn’t be asked when it came to learning and seeking the truth. Jackie and John had three children, Kevin, Brett, and Kim Milbourn and they moved to the Kansas City area in 1970. Jackie was a “full-time“ mom who supported her family in every way. She would eventually work in retail for the Jones Store, as a sales rep for MCI, as a product information representative for Marion Merrill Dow, and later in the admissions office at Johnson County Community College. Everywhere she worked, Jackie humbly and quietly received numerous awards and accolades. While performing these different jobs she always found time to attend every recital, game, and concert for her children.

She was a member of Colonial Presbyterian Church from the time she moved to Kansas City until her death. She loved her church very much and her family has continued their involvement with Colonial.

When she wasn’t busy making sure that her children had everything they needed for school and extracurricular activities, Jackie enjoyed traveling, reading, going to movies, and, of course, later in life spending time with her grandchildren. But her favorite pastime of all was taking her children and eventually her grandchildren, out of the Kansas heat each summer and back to the beauty of Northern Michigan. From Glen Arbor to Harbor Springs and all the way to Mackinac Island, Jackie found her peace in “God’s country” as she called it, and passed that love and peace on to her children all of whom continue to trek up north to this day. Her favorite holiday was Christmas and she loved all the trimmings, lights, gift-giving, family time, and significance of that season. Jackie never missed a birthday or holiday and the chance to celebrate someone.

For those that knew her well, Jackie was an angel on earth. She touched many lives with her wisdom, humor, and self-sacrifice. She will continue to live on in our hearts and beautiful memories. She will be missed dearly by her family but will live in eternity with the Lord.

Jackie was predeceased by her youngest child Kimberly Milbourn McCrory. She is survived by her two boys, Kevin Milbourn of Overland Park and Brett Milbourn of Kansas City; her daughters-in-law Gina and Laura Milbourn; her grandchildren, Andrew Milbourn of Overland Park, Alex and Grant Milbourn of Prairie Village, Kelsey and MacKenna Milbourn of Dallas Texas, Delaney Milbourn of Los Angeles, Annie Milbourn of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and Joe Milbourn McCrory of Grain Valley. The family will hold a service for Jackie at 4p.m. on January 25 at Colonial Presbyterian Church (Dalbey Chapel), 9500 Wornall Road, Kansas City, Mo. In lieu of flowers, any memorial funds should be directed to Colonial.