Laurence “Larry” Jackson passed away peacefully surrounded by loved ones on January 9, 2026. Larry was predeceased in 1990 by his first wife Anne Maguire Jackson, and in 2023 by his second wife Jane Eagan Jackson.
Born in Attleboro in 1943 and raised in Mansfield, Larry was the fifth of six children born to the late William and Betty (Mahoney) Jackson. He spent thrilling summers on Cape Cod, where he and his siblings brought the liveliness of their Church Street home in Mansfield to their summer home in Craigville. Each day, he would wind his way to work, walking the village’s midway to the celebrated forty steps, and then down to the Craigville Beach Association. When not working at CBA, or more likely socializing, he caddied at the Wianno Club and the Hyannisport Club. It was during these years when Larry honed a love of golf he inherited from his father and talking politics, as he became a near scratch golfer while caddying alongside members of the Kennedy Administration. For the rest of his life, Larry would reminisce with stories of these Cape Cod summers and his self-perceived admirers amongst the crowd of girls while he lifeguarded at CBA.
After graduating as a member of the Mansfield High School Class of 1962, Larry was drafted into the Army and then spent the next two years at Fort Wainwright in Alaska, where his beloved Cape Cod summers were traded for the cold of the Alaska wilderness or more precisely his work as a company clerk and later as the driver for the base chaplain.
Returning home to Massachusetts, Larry worked at the Foxborough Company and then enrolled at the New England Institute of Applied Arts and Sciences in Kenmore Square while he shared a Brookline apartment with pals from Mansfield. After completing his studies, Larry worked at his father’s Jackson Funeral Home.
In the early 1970s, his sister-in-law Diane introduced him to her colleague at Medfield High School, Anne Maguire. For the rest of his life, he would fondly recall in a bittersweet manner how he did not deserve to be so lucky for this introduction. Married in 1972, Larry and Anne spent their first years of marriage on Church Street alongside their dear friends the Darmedys, with Larry’s brothers and their families just a few streets over, and his sister and her family a short drive away. On Church Street, Larry and Anne welcomed their first child Amy and three years later their second child Michael. Larry would again frequently visit the Cape each summer where Anne and the children spent the month of July. Though he jokingly claimed he was forced to remain in Mansfield to work while his family enjoyed the beach, he somehow managed to play nine-holes at Foxborough Country Club each afternoon. Prior to school starting each fall, the family frequently traveled to North Conway where Larry inevitably snuck in at least one round of golf.
During this time, Larry’s business merged with what would be Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home. Just a short time later, Larry and Anne left Church Street and moved all the way to Willow Street. A brief time after that, Anne’s death left Larry widowed with two adolescent children.
In 1997, Larry married Jane. For years, Jane and her daughter Kelley lovingly put up with Larry’s banter, as Jane remained by his side until she passed away nearly three years ago. Jane and Larry’s connection of growing up in Mansfield reflected the common bond they shared. With Jane, Larry again frequented the Cape making visits to her family’s home each summer. Jane’s family welcomed him as one of their own, and their ongoing friendship with Larry lasted to this day.
For the past several years, the thrill of Larry’s week was Tuesday nights spent at local donut shops. Each week, in a ritual reminiscent of their youth, he and his brother Bart would gather with their Mansfield cronies for fun and laughter. They would conduct “The Scratch” collectively deciphering dozens of lottery scratch tickets, with the pool of money being used for an annual laugh-filled dinner at nice local restaurant. This simple activity brought joy to Larry’s life, and the comradery he experienced was critical during his final years living alone. For this, Larry and his family will forever be grateful to these men.
The other group who brought him such joy were his beloved grandchildren. From watching swim meets, to giving nicknames, to simply being around them, Larry’s love for his grandchildren was obvious. He was a curmudgeon whose hidden warmth was encompassed in his quirky exchanges and loving sayings, for which his grandchildren loved him dearly.
Larry is survived by his daughter Amy Jackson of Chula Vista, CA; his son Michael and his loving wife Sheila Reilly Jackson of Böblingen, Germany and Ridgefield, CT; and his stepdaughter Kelley Altieri and her loving husband Steve of North Attleborough, MA. Larry is also survived by his grandchildren Mary Kathleen Jackson; Reilly and Timmy Jackson. and Stephen, Conley and Ellie Altieri. Also survived by his brother Bart and his wife Diane (Liberatore) of Mansfield; and his sister Mary Frances Braga of Attleboro. Finally, Larry is survived by many nieces and nephews. Aside from Anne and Jane, Larry was predeceased by his brother Allen and his wife Jean (Bonifazi), his brother Kevin and his wife Elaine (Marcheselli), his brother-in-law Reid Braga, and his brother Robert and his wife Mary (O’Malley).
His Funeral Mass, to which relatives and friends are cordially invited to attend, will be celebrated on Saturday, January 17th at 11:00 A.M. in Saint Mary’s Church, 330 Pratt Street (Route 106) Mansfield. Burial will follow at Saint Mary’s Cemetery in Mansfield.
Visitation will be held prior to the Funeral Mass on Saturday morning from 9:00 A.M.-10:30 A.M. at the Sherman & Jackson Funeral Home, 55 North Main Street, Mansfield.
In lieu of flowers, please make donations in Larry’s memory to CSF of Manfield’s MHS Class of 1962 Scholarship Fund or the Anne Maguire Jackson Memorial Scholarship Fund at Dollars For Scholars - CSF of Mansfield Dollars for Scholars.
To send his family a message of condolence, please visit www.shermanjackson.com