Denise Jackson

Denise Allison Jackson, beloved wife of Stewart Pharis and mother of Tommy and Dorrie Pharis, died peacefully on May 28, 2010. Denise, 48, began her career as a musician in Chicago and subsequently became a successful Cleveland employee benefits law attorney. A native of Palo Alto, California, Denise had a lifelong passion for music. She earned both a Bachelor of Music and a Master of Music degree from Northwestern University, where she studied with Mary Ann Mumm, Myron Kartman, and Gerardo Ribeiro. Along with her husband, Denise was active throughout the Chicago area as a freelance violinist, chamber musician, and teacher, before joining the New World Symphony in Miami under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas. Denise went on to receive a J.D. from the University of California Hastings College of Law in San Francisco. She and Stewart grew into established residents of Cleveland Heights as Denise practiced benefits law at Squire, Sanders & Dempsey in Cleveland. For nearly a decade, Denise served on the Board of Directors of Apollo's Fire, the Cleveland Baroque Orchestra. She was a member of the steering committee for programming for the Ohio/Kentucky chapter of the ESOP Association and a frequent presenter at meetings for ESOP employers. Denise was a strong advocate for public education and was actively involved with the Cleveland Heights-University Heights Schools. At the time of her death, Denise was a member of the Board of Directors of Reaching Heights, an independent citizens' organization that encourages community involvement in the public schools. She also coached members of the Roxboro Middle School Science Olympiad Team. At home, Denise was an avid knitter and gardener and a skilled worker of glass and tile. She designed and knit beautiful sweaters for her family and friends, which they will treasure; and she leaves her husband and children a house graced with lovingly tended roses and the many works of her own hands that decorate their home. In addition to her husband and two children, Denise is survived by her parents, Tom Jackson of Cleveland Heights and Charlotte Jackson of Palo Alto, California; her brother Keith Jackson and his family of Fresno, California; her mother-in-law, Dorothy Stewart Pharis of Auburn, Alabama; and her brother in-law, Will Pharis and his partner Richard Weinman of Cheyenne, Wyoming. Friends may call Saturday, June 12th between 2:00 and 6:00 at the Jackson/Pharis residence. For directions, please email: Denise loved her community and was a strong supporter of the public schools she felt were such a vital part of the community. As a way of remembering Denise, her family asks that, in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Reaching Heights 1991 Lee Road, Suite 106, Cleveland Heights, OH 44118.


PDF Printable Version