Remembering Glen Jackson: An Awards Industry Veteran

The awards industry lost a leader, Glen Jackson. Glen was born August 2, 1940 in Sheridan, Arkansas. He was 78 when he passed away at his home in Sheridan, Arkansas on June 2, 2019.

Anyone who knew Glen would tell you there was no one else quite like him. Glen lived and breathed trophies, putting over 60 years into the awards business. When he wasn’t working, he enjoyed going on cruises and watching football.

Glen was often thought of as the #3 man at KAAG Trophies in Torrance, California, with KAAG’s #1 being K.O.Dean and #2 being Al Larsen. KAAG was purchased by Freeman Products in 1977.

After KAAG, Glen moved to Memphis, Tennessee in 1970 and started a wholesale company called Southeastern Awards. Among other ventures and acquisitions, he sold Southeastern Awards to Robert Eden and John Calicutt at Continental Trophies (now PDU/CAT). Along with longtime friend and employee, Ernie Britt, they opened Tri State Trophy Southaven, MS in 1980. Britt still runs Tri State Trophy today.

According to Britt, he and Glen first met in 1964, but it wasn’t until after serving in the Navy that Britt went to work for him at Southeastern Awards in the 1970s. The two were partners until the early 90s but continued a strong working relationship with each other up until Glen’s passing.

“He was the brother I never had,” Britt recalls. “I don’t know if you could find a fairer man. He was always teaching and never really had to push people because he was the type of person that could get people to do things just by asking. We traveled to a lot of shows together and had a lot of good times. He was a straightforward guy, but he loved to joke. He was a very special person and we miss him dearly.”

Glen moved to Arkansas after a heart attack in 1991 but could never get the trophy business out of his blood. Along with his daughter Glenda, Glen opened a trophy shop in Sheridan, Arkansas in 1994. Glenda still runs the business today. But she says it will never be the same without the original trophy man.

“You never met a man who didn’t know how to do anything but trophies.” says Glenda. Glenda will always be able to recall his stories, such as when he got to a tradeshow with only pair of shoes; after a few days, the shoes smelled so bad that he put them on the window sill only to wake up the next morning with them covered with snow. Or when his hotel burned down while at a late dinner – from that time forward, late dinners were his preference.

Aside from all the stories, one of the greatest lessons Glen taught was money management. “My dad taught me, don’t buy something unless you can pay for it,” states Glenda.

According to Glenda, one of Glen’s favorite things to say was this quote by Thomas Edison: “Opportunity is missed by most people because it’s dressed like overalls and looks like work.”

In addition to his parents, Arvey and Georgia Morris Jackson, Glen was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Ray Jackson and his son, Anthony “Tony” Jackson. He is survived by his daughter, best friend, and caregiver, Glenda and husband Ray McFarland of Sheridan; daughter-in-law, Lisa Jackson of Hernando, Mississippi; “special” daughter, Amanda Ciceraro of Sheridan; son, Terry Jackson of Kansas; grandchildren, Glen Casey (Tiffany) Jackson, Landon McFarland, Brittany (Dustin) Rowe, Dustin Jackson, Mary Ann Jackson, Cheyanne Jackson, Christopher Jackson; great grandchildren, Olivia, Zane, Tyler and Carson and a host of extended family members, church family and friends.

Memorials may be made to Southern Christian Children’s Home, P.O. Box 649, Morrilton, Arkansas 72110, where Glen was a supporter.