In Memory of Mr. Willie Lee "Bubba" Jackson, Sr: A giant among men

One of the most incredible blessings of my life has been the relationship that I have had with my maternal grandfather, Willie Jackson, Sr. It has taken me a few weeks to be able to write this tribute because my feelings are still tender. My wonderful grandfather passed away on February 5, 2008. It was difficult for me to accept the fact that when I go home to Georgia to visit, he will not be sitting in his rocking chair on the front porch waiting to give me an update on politics and the facts of life. As my wife and I, along with our three children, made the journey from Utah to Georgia for the funeral, we reflected on his impact on our lives. Bubba was a dedicated man. He was a faithful husband to my grandmother for over 63 years. The Institute of Families and Relationships would not be functioning without his support and vision. I witnessed him support my grandmother during her political career. He was present for the most important events in my life, and I feel honored to be numbered among his grandchildren. So, as I pay tribute to this driving force behind our great work, I say to all who were blessed to call him grandfather: George, Jeffery, Renee, Sterling, Michael, Christopher, Kennon, Anthony, Daphane, Kim, Charlotte, Dion, Lette, Leah, Eric, Dexter, and Rodney, we have been loved and lead by a giant among men, and we have a responsibility to rise to the challenge to be great men and women. To the world who never knew him, you will come to know him through the work of this great Institute.



J. Tekulve Martial-Vann, M.S., MFTI, CFLE
Institute of Families & Relationships
jtmartial-vann@vanninstitute.org

The History of the Institute of Families & Relationships

After many months of telling myself that I am going to start a blog for the Institute, here it is. I never get to tell the story of how we started, so I will start there. In March of 2004, I had the experience of a lifetime. My older brother, Maurice, had a birthday, and his wife suprised him by flying my wife, daugther, and me to Maryland to see him. It was our first time meeting. Despite the odds that were stacked against us, we had managed to turn out well. He was preparing for Law School and I was preparing for Graduate School. Perhaps the key was we both had really strong mothers who came from great families. Whatever it was, it became clear to me on the plane ride back to Utah that we owed it to the world and to ourselves to do something to help the families and the ones that didn't make it. As a result, we started the Vann Foundation for At-Risk Families.
During my last semester at Brigham Young University, I met up with Anthony Walker. Together, we co-authored "Broken Homes...Solid Futures: A Marriage Education Program for Adult Children of Divorce". When our "little baby" took off in early 2005, we decided to give it a permanent home at the Institute of Family Life. As our vision expanded, we needed a name that reflected the whole of who we are, so the name was changed in 2007 to The Institute of Families & Relationships. Today, my wife and I work together to move the Institute forward, and it has been rewarding to see it grow. Who knows what that future holds! One thing is for certain, we anticipate a bright future, and things are really looking great for us.
Now that you have the whole story, don't forget to visit our website at http://www.vanninstitute.org/ to see what we have going on.


J. Tekulve Martial-Vann, M.S., MFTI, CFLE
Founder & Director
Institute of Families & Relationships
jtmartial-vann@vanninstitute.org