Before Legacy Village of Hendersonville resident Jackie Carrigan taught a roomful of teachers how to use computers, she taught eighth-grade English. Before that, she was a girl in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, riding her bike through the neighborhood with her friends, stopping for hide-and-seek and seeing where the afternoon took them.

Jackie was born there on November 15, 1946, to parents eager to welcome her into their growing family. She and her brother, who still lives in Tuscaloosa, had a happy childhood. And like plenty of children growing up there, Jackie became a devoted Alabama Crimson Tide fan.

At the University of Alabama, Jackie studied education, with a major in English and library science. Her first job took her to Birmingham to teach eighth-grade English. Later, in Panama City, Florida, she became an elementary school librarian, a job she loved. Books were part of her work, but the best surprise Panama City had in store for her came from a blind date.

Bob was in the Air Force, and Jackie has never denied that a man in uniform caught her eye. They went to a local Pizza Hut for their first date—a blind date. Jackie calls their story “love at second sight.” Whatever happened between that first pizza and the dates that followed, they knew quickly that they wanted a life together. Three months after they met, they married on January 31, 1970, as Bob retired from the Air Force. Bob passed away 43 years later, on their wedding anniversary.

After Panama City, Jackie and Bob made a home in Indianapolis. Jackie taught eighth-grade reading there, then stepped away from work when their son, Rob, was born. To Jackie, Rob was the kind of kid who made raising him a joy. She still talks about those years with affection. Once he was older, she returned to school as a high school librarian. She would go on to earn a master’s degree in education from Butler University and a specialist degree from Indiana University, completing 30 hours beyond her master’s.

Then came a job that asked Jackie to teach something many teachers were learning for the first time: how to use computers in their classrooms. As technology director for Plainfield Community School Corporation in the Indianapolis area, she taught educators what the machines could do and how they could help children learn. She also managed a grant of more than $1 million that brought computers and teacher training to schools across Indiana. For years, her school system served as a leading technology center for the state, with Jackie managing programs and grants that helped other educators get started.

Of all the work she’s done, Jackie calls that role her favorite. She could see what it meant when a teacher went from wondering what to do with a computer to finding a useful place for it in a lesson. She was helping teachers do their jobs better, and that mattered to her. After retiring from the school system, she taught at Indiana University. When she later moved to Tennessee, she returned to library work at Welch College in Hendersonville, before moving to Legacy Village.

Jackie’s curiosity has taken her well beyond schools and libraries. Through a travel program for college students and others, she’s been to Greece, Australia and China, and she’s visited Europe seven or eight times. China was her favorite. What she remembers most is how eager the people she met were to meet Westerners. There’s one trip she still hopes to make: Jackie wants to visit Israel and walk in the path of Jesus.

Her life at home has been full of making things, too. When Rob was little, Jackie sewed. She later made wreaths and appliqué artwork in hoops to sell at craft fairs. She and her cousins put together a cookbook for a family reunion, preserving recipes and memories along the way. Mississippi Mud Brownies were a family tradition, and Jackie became known for hers with all the fixings.



As Thanksgiving and the holiday season approach, Jackie thinks about the joy of family gatherings. The meal matters, especially in a family with recipes worth passing down, but what she loves most is the time around it: sitting with the people she loves, catching up and simply having everyone in the same place. It’s the kind of gathering that stays with her long after the day is over.

Jackie has every reason to be proud of Rob. The little boy she loved raising is now a highly skilled detective, trusted with some of the area’s most challenging cases. She treasures time with his children, Addie, Ryan and Andrew, and especially loves it when Addie can join her for an activity at Legacy Village, perhaps a country music concert or a game of bingo. She treasures visits with Buddy, the Shih Tzu who now lives with Rob, and loves hearing how he’s doing when they’re apart. As her grandchildren grow, Jackie wants to be there for the ordinary days and the memorable ones alike.

Jackie has never needed much persuading to try something new. She still reads, takes part in activities at Legacy Village and welcomes the chance to spend time with family. Her curiosity and willingness to share what she knows have blessed people throughout her life, from the teachers she helped in Indiana to the family and neighbors who enjoy her company today. When someone asks for her advice, she tells them to keep busy, keep learning and enjoy the life they have. It’s a simple answer, and one she continues to live by.oes here. To edit this text, click on it and delete this default text and start typing your own or paste your own from a different source.