Library To Open Late Sunday As TPL Mourns Loss Of Longtime Employee

TUSCALOOSA, AL — The Tuscaloosa Public Library says it will delay opening on Sunday as the library's staff mourns the death of former TPL employee Gary Lynne Jackson.

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The library will open at 3:30 p.m. Sunday in order to allow its staff to attend a Celebration of Life service at 1 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church in Tuscaloosa, which will be followed by a reception in Warner Hall at the church.

According to his obituary, Jackson died on July 15 at DCH Regional Medical Center following a brief battle with an unspecified illness. He was 83.

A native of Tuscaloosa who graduated from Tuscaloosa High School in 1958, Jackson earned a bachelor of science degree in biology in 1962 and in commerce and business administration in 1965 from The University of Alabama. He also earned a master’s degree in administrative leadership from George Washington University while serving in the U.S. Air Force.

After his military service and working in places like Wyoming and California, Jackson later found employment in real estate in Tuscaloosa and then with the Tuscaloosa Public Library until the time of his death.

Jackson's obituary describes him as an avid reader — a fan of vampire fiction — who "dearly enjoyed his work life with the staff and patrons of the Tuscaloosa Public Library."

In lieu of flowers, Jackson's family asks that memorials be made to First Presbyterian Church and the Tuscaloosa Public Library.

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