Jacqueline MacNeil
Jacqueline MacNeil loved a good crossword puzzle, but more importantly, she loved her family with her entire heart.
Mrs. Jacqueline Ann MacNeil, 86, of Ephrata, Wash., passed away of natural causes Jan. 19, 2025, in Soap Lake, Wash.
Jacqueline Garland was born in 1938 to William and Rita Garland of Dover, N.H. She married Gerard (Jerry) MacNeil in 1957 in Portsmouth, N.H., and the couple initially settled in Massachusetts before relocating to California in 1975.
After raising six children, Jackie began her professional career with the City of Santa Maria Recreation Department as a coordinator for adaptive recreation programs and Special Olympics activities. She later managed the Santa Maria Senior Center and retired as the part-time director of the city’s recycling program at the landfill.
A lover of art and a passionate reader, Jackie, along with Jerry, collaborated with the Altrusa service organization to promote cultural activities and literacy awareness in public school districts. As an advocate for her special needs daughter, Jackie was instrumental in identifying areas for improvement in school curricula and programs, benefiting all special needs students in the district. During this time, Jackie and Jerry joined forces with other parents to establish the Santa Maria Independent Living Environment (S.M.I.L.E), an organization created to meet the residential needs of adult disabled individuals in the community. Jackie also served on S.M.I.L.E.’s Board of Directors.
Jackie’s civic involvement extended to fundraising efforts for non-profit organizations such as Friends of the Santa Maria Public Library and Altrusa. After Jerry’s retirement, Jackie fulfilled a lifelong dream of traveling to Europe, where she visited historical and literary sites she had long read about. These trips, often shared with Jerry or friends, were among the pinnacle experiences of her life.
After Jerry’s passing in 2017, Jackie relocated to Ephrata, Wash., where she lived with her daughter, Missy. She spent her later years immersed in her favorite activities: reading as many books as possible, solving New York Times crossword puzzles, and cherishing time with her young grandchildren who inspired her move.
Jacqueline is preceded in death by Gerard MacNeil, her husband of 60 years (“…not a perfect man, but perfect for me”), her parents, and her brother, William Garland.
She is survived by her six children: William MacNeil of Torrance, Calif.; Michael MacNeil of Watertown, Mass.; Steven MacNeil of Ephrata, Wash.; Alan MacNeil of Riposto, Sicily, Italy; Elizabeth MacNeil of Ephrata, Wash.; and Catherine MacNeil of Phoenix, Ariz. She is also survived by her siblings: Leann Lyle of Solomons, Del.; Caro Rubino of Haltom City, Texas; and Richard Garland of Los Alamos, N.M. Jackie leaves behind twenty-two grandchildren and 14 great-grandchildren.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to altruistic and philanthropic charities of your choice. Arrangements are underway for her cremated remains to be placed alongside her husband’s at the Cal-Vet California Central Coast Veterans Cemetery in Monterey, Calif. A memorial service will be held at Nicoles Funeral Home in Ephrata on Friday, Jan. 31, at 10 a.m. Please express your thoughts and memories for the family at https://bit.ly/JMACNEIL.