Rachel Jackson Hardy

He who dwells in the shelter of the Most High will abide in the shadow of the Almighty. I will say to the Lord, ‘My refuge and my fortress, my God, in whom I trust.’” Psalm 91:2

Rachel Jackson Carter Hardy, beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, and friend, passed away peacefully on August 24, 2025, at the age of 98, surrounded by family. Rachel was born to the late Alvin Peach Jackson and Minnie Lee Weaver Jackson and raised in Newark, NJ. She attended Essex County College of Business and was the President of the Psi Chapter of the Eta Phi Beta sorority, which championed scholarships for women and sickle cell and mental disability research. Over her professional career, Rachel worked her way up the ranks from a File Clerk in the Newark Housing Authority to becoming the Assistant to the Director of the Housing Authority.

After 20-plus years of dedication to the Newark Housing Authority, she retired and moved to Windsor, VA, to return to her family roots, where she enjoyed some of her happiest years. Rachel was a member of The Married Women's Guild of Saint James A.M.E. Church in Newark, NJ, and Holly Grove A.M.E. Church in Windsor, VA.

Rachel’s memory will be cherished and preserved by her daughter, Rosyln Skipper, her grandsons, Rafee UdDeen and Jason Kelly, and their wives, and her great-granddaughter, Johanna Kelly.

A public viewing will be held 2 p.m.- 6p.m on Thursday, September 18, 2025. A service will be held on Friday, September 19, 2025, at 11:00 a.m.in the Melvin Blowe Chapel of Crocker Funeral Home. Ms. Hardy will be laid to rest at Holly Grove A.M.E. Church Cemetery in Windsor, VA. Professional services with dignity have been entrusted to Crocker Funeral Home, Inc.