- Date Of Birth: March 3, 1958
- Date Of Death: November 17, 2017
- State: Colorado
Pamela Jacqueline Jones was born on March 3, 1958, in Chattanooga, Tennessee, to her father, Irvin R. Jones and mother Betty Lou Parker Jones. Other than her place of birth, Jacqui had no familial connection to Tennessee. Her mother went into labor as she and her father were on their way to his next tour of duty in the Air Force. Jacqui’s father and mother found a hospital in Chattanooga, Tennessee, that accepted African-American patients, to bring Jacqui into this world. Jacqui adored her father. When her father sat at the head of the dinner table, Jacqui would often sit at his right hand. Being part of a military family meant relocating and changing schools almost every four years. In Spain, Jacqui attended a Spanish elementary school. (The Sisters at the school attempted to correct Jacqui’s preference for using her left hand by removing pencils from her left hand and putting them in her right hand. Jacqui would switch the pencils back to her left hand to write–Jacqui won the battle.) Jacqui attended middle school in Japan and attended East High School in Denver, Colorado. Jacqui was smart and energetic. She did well in school. She liked to read. In elementary school, she took violin and piano lessons. Jacqui liked sports. She played intramural basketball and softball. She was also a cheerleader at East High School. After high school Jacqui embarked on her career. She married Daniel K. Polk, gave birth to her son, Arik, and worked on her college degree. At work, Jacqui was dedicated. She was an early-riser and had an excellent work ethic. She liked the tax profession, but she was not too proud to draw on other skills she acquired throughout her career if she needed to bring extra money into her household. Jacqui joined softball and bowling leagues. She went camping. She coached cheerleaders. She ran the BolderBOULDER. She was committed to the annual Race for the Cure. She enjoyed watching the Denver Broncos on Sunday and, occasionally, a Colorado Rockies or Denver Nuggets game. But, Jacqui was Arik’s biggest fan. If a person looked in the stands at Arik’s high school and semi-professional wrestling matches, Jacqui was almost always there. Jacqui enjoyed taking in live theatre, musicals and ballets. Traveling was another one of her favorite past times. She would often take day trips to Las Vegas just for a change of scenery. Her annual trips to Disney World brought her great joy and good memories. Jacqui loved beautiful and feminine things. Her “Doll Room” was filled with a collection of dolls and parasols. Jacqui always had a song in her heart. A person could drop by her house anytime of the day and hear music playing or hear her singing. Jacqui liked being in the company of others. She planned and organized events with the precision of a military commander. Events were budgeted to the penny and she was punctual. She remembered birthdays and loved to celebrate accomplishments. She would happily go across town or fly across the country to attend a graduation or a significant sporting event for her nieces and nephews. Jacqui loved Christmas and giving presents. She always bought gifts for her guests so they felt included when the family began opening theirs. Also, if someone had nowhere to go for Thanksgiving or Christmas, there was always room at her home or table. (She was the master at making mac-n-cheese. Mac-n-cheese was one dish she loved to eat and learned to make with perfection.) Jacqui created a bond of family that included many “adopted” members. Jacqui began playing hymns on the piano from a used hymnal her mother brought home. She liked singing hymns and religious music. She had a collection of recordings from various artists that traveled with her almost everywhere she went.
