Darrilyn Ruth Vassar-Jackson

DARRILYN  RUTH  VASSAR-JACKSON

Sunrise:  August 20, 1950

Sunset: June 8, 2021

Darrilyn Ruth Vassar-Jackson was born on August 20, 1950, to the late Drs. Samuel and Marion Vassar in Newport News, Virginia. A precocious child, Darrilyn, spent a lot of time with her grandmother Marie Washington and extended family. Reared in a Christian household, she accepted Christ as a child and was active in the choir and youth group. She relished singing before an audience and seized opportunities for public speaking. 

Darrilyn was successful in academics at an early age. She skipped the 1st grade which led to her being younger that most students in her incoming class at Hampton Institute (University). The collegiate experience left such a lasting impression that she never missed returning annually for homecoming to celebrate all that the institution had given to her.  During her sophomore year, in 1969 she became a member of the Gamma Theta Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc., which served as the seed for her lifelong commitment to the organization.  

Attending Rutgers University to earn her master’s degree in social work, set the foundation for her professional career and it is where she met the friends that would be the godmothers to her daughters. While working in Atlantic City, NJ, she met Earl Jackson at a party, and they began their 45-year journey of love.  It was also during this time that she committed to a vegan lifestyle and joined the spiritual community of Universal Sanctum of Meditation (USOM) in Flushing, NY. 

After they moved to Maryland she continued her professional career as a social worker leading support groups, family counseling, individual therapy, and working with many people in crisis.  All the while, she educated the public on the benefits of a vegan/vegetarian lifestyle through cooking workshops, articles in Vegetarian Times, and self-published cookbooks.  Darrilyn went above and beyond to also provide classes educating people about how to cook and eat in healthy vegetarian and vegan meals.  She also taught the importance of meditation and breathing, also known as mindfulness. She was ahead of the mindfulness movement.

She went on to establish Vassar-Jackson Associates, a company she founded to facilitate training, throughout the country, focusing on diversity, inclusion, and gender equity in the corporate workplace. Darrilyn was so stellar at helping and supporting students, families, and individuals that she was awarded Social Worker of the Year in 2000 by the state of Maryland. Additionally, as the Director of Curriculum Development and a lead trainer with The Vanella Group, she evolved transformational thinking for organizations, churches, companies, and local government agencies. In her position she contributed to the design of the curriculum she provided training to community-based organizations in Washington DC such as Edgewood Brookland family support collaborative that are known for its outreach to communities in all wards of Washington DC especially wards 6, 7, and eight. “Sourcing” was Darrilyn’s strength. If sourcing is another word for sharing, then that is what she did powerfully and generously. Her common quote to us all was, “What is for you cannot be “unfor” you.”

Her support of people did not stop with her day job, as she was an advocate for friends who were undergoing cancer treatment.  She comforted, counseled, transported friends to medical appointments, taught them how to change their diet, and walked in many “Relay for Life” and “Race for Cure” events, raising money for breast cancer research. Darrilyn enjoyed providing Reiki therapy while also serving as a life coach with her superb social work talents. When not providing for others, she enjoyed exercising, meditating, engaging in prayer groups, traveling the world, and reading books amongst her Real Sister Girl’s book club. Leading with love she was a listener, cheerleader, connecter, adviser, Reiki healer, teacher, writer, counselor, empath, singer, facilitator, traveler, leader, adventurer, wife, mother, daughter, sister, and courageous friend.  She will forever live in our hearts, minds, and spirits. 

Darrilyn leaves to celebrate her memories, her husband, Earl; brother, Bobby Vassar; daughters, MaKara (Robert) Rumley, Esq.; Saniel (John) Underwood; and Dr. Sadhana (Joseph Vivens) Jackson; grandchildren: Chace, Robert, River, Greyson, Benjamin, and Evangeline. She is survived by a host of family, cousins, dear friends and sorors who will keep Darrilyn’s memory alive because she touched us all and left an indelible imprint of love on each of our hearts; with a reminder to always “use your voice.”

In lieu of flowers, the family prefers donations to be made to:

Hope Connections:  https://www.gifttool.com/donations/Donate?ID=1636&AID=542

NAMI (National Association of Mental Illness): https://namimc.salsalabs.org/donate/index.html

You may view live stream by click the links below: 

* https://dmvmemorials.com/obituary/darrilyn-vassar-jackson/
* https://youtu.be/Sbhqxo7GvVAbe