Ruth Angela West-Jackson

We have lost our dear Ruth Angela West-Jackson, affectionately called, “Ruthie” who passed away on Monday, June 1, 2020 after a long battle with pulmonary fibrosis exacerbated by the auto-immune disease Scleroderma. Ruth was born on July 20, 1958 to Agatha O’Connor and Sydney West. She grew up in Kingston, Jamaica and is a graduate of Excelsior High School. She commenced her long career with the Jamaica Tourist Board (JTB) in the Accounting Department at 19-years-old. At 19, she would also give birth to her only son Andrew, whom she affectionately called “One Son.” Her journey would then lead her to New York where she was promoted to administrative assistant. While there, she found love and got married to Keith Jackson. A lover of knowledge, Ruth was committed to achieving higher education and obtained degrees in Accounting and Business Administration at Baruch College. She later relocated to Miami, Florida to fulfill her role as an executive assistant. With a career of over 40 years, Ruth contributed to the growth of the USA Northern tourism market; and the building of a network of airline services that served the USA, thereby, increasing USA visitors to Jamaica annually. Suffice it to say, the tourism community has lost a stalwart who spent most of her adult life devoted to the promotion of Jamaica to the United States. Ruth was dedicated, disciplined, resilient, a lover of her Jamaican culture. She excelled at the art of storytelling, allowing listeners to visualize the story from her eyes. She loved to laugh, dance and entertain. Her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of those she came into contact with and interacted with on a daily basis. Ruth is survived by her son Andrew Watson, her daughter-in-law: Jacqualine Watson, and granddaughters: Aria and Alayah Watson; stepdaughters: LaHoma Jackson-Rodriguez and Lisa Carbone; step grandchildren: Nile, Nia, and Noelle Jackson-Northrup; nephews: Robert Samuels and Wayne Reid; grandnieces, grandnephews and her loving community of extended family, friends, classmates, coworkers, and trade professionals. She was preceded in death by her mother, father, her only sister Faye Weir and her husband of 16 years Keith “Bumps” Jackson. Funeral services will be held on Sunday, June 14, 2020 at 11 a.m. EST. Chapel services will be live streamed on the funeral home’s website – www.levettfuneralhome.com.

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Ruth Angela West-Jackson

July 20, 1958 - June 1, 2020