Mary Deloris Kicklighter

Our mother, Mary Deloris Kicklighter, of Jacksonville, Florida, passed away on Wednesday, March 4, 2026.  She was 80.  She was born May 23, 1945, in Jacksonville, Florida to Fred and Oline Jewell.

Our mother’s family was quite large. Her parents had seventeen children in all.  Needless to say, family gatherings and events became quite entertaining at times!  Mom had a jovial personality with a humorous outlook on life.  In typical classic Mom style, she would sometimes have nicknames for family members in reference to old classic movie characters.  For instance, she called Brian “Festess,” from the old Gunsmoke show.  Sometimes she would say, “Slow down a minute Festess!” if he was walking too fast for her.

Our mother loved the outdoors. In springtime she would always plant new flowers in the yard and vegetables in her garden.  Even if mom couldn’t physically do the gardening, she would just sit outside, enjoying the view and taking in Mother Nature.

Aside from the outdoors, our mother also enjoyed holidays.  Whenever Christmas, Thanksgiving, or Easter rolled around, she would put on a big spread for the whole family.  She just loved having the whole family gathered for these celebrations.  It must’ve been a labor of love for her because she truly enjoyed cooking, baking, and making preparations for the big event.

Our mother is survived by her children; Brian, Mark and his family, Christine and his two children Zachary and Haley; her sisters Martha, Kathy, Barbara, and her brother Benjamin.  She is also survived by several nieces and nephews.

Our mother is preceded in death by her parents Fred and Oline Jewell; siblings, Francis, John, James, Kirt, Robert, Fred, Billy, Jerry, Elizabeth, Teresa, Linda and Betty.

A graveside memorial service will be held at 10:00 am, Friday, March 20th at Evergreen Cemetery, 4535 Main Street, Jacksonville, Florida 32206.  Arrangements are under the direction and care of Evergreen Funeral Home – (904) 353-3649.