Jill Leslie Jackson, veteran political professional and devoted single mom, died peacefully on August 20, 2009, in Orlando, Fla., after an extended illness. She was 53.

Born in Youngstown, Ohio, Jill grew up in suburban Washington, DC, and spent most of her life in the DC area before moving to Orlando in 2007.

Jill began her political career working for Republican direct mail consultant Bruce Eberle. She moved on to her first stint at the National Republican Congressional Committee in 1981, serving as deputy campaign director. Working for NRCC political directors Joe Gaylord and Ed Goeas, she coordinated campaign-related political resources and served as onsite field director in two special elections.

Jill moved to the National Republican Senatorial Committee during the 1986 campaign cycle, eventually becoming its deputy executive director under Senator Rudy Boschwitz in the 1988 cycle. From there she went to the Republican National Committee, serving under RNC chairman Lee Atwater, first as chief of staff to co-chairman Jeannie Austin and later as director of field operations and deputy political director. Jill then worked on the Bush/Quayle '92 campaign, where she served as director of national voter programs and deputy national field director. She was a regional floor whip for George H.W. Bush at the 1992 Republican National Convention.

Jill joined the Eddie Mahe Company in 1993, managing direct mail and telemarketing activities for numerous political, corporate and public affairs campaigns. While there, she led a two-year grassroots advocacy campaign to promote reform of the federal Superfund program.

During the 1996 cycle, Jill was the national field director for the Dole for President Committee. In addition to directing the political aspects of Senator Bob Dole's campaign travel and serving as one of four senior floor whips at the 1996 Republican National Convention, she managed more than 50 national field staff and state-level campaign directors. Colleagues observe that the loyalty still shown to Jill by her field staff testifies to her ability to excel in any political environment.

She then returned to the National Republican Congressional Committee, as deputy political director and national voter programs director under Congressman John Linder. During this period, Jill developed the NRCC's first national issue advocacy direct mail and telemarketing campaign, helping to preserve the Republican majority in Congress.

Most recently, she worked for FLS Connect, one of the top Republican direct marketing firms, where she managed accounts on a national, statewide and district basis; and for Connection Strategy, a marketing firm focusing on the not-for-profit industry.

Jill's long and robust career stands as a tribute to her commitment to excellence. "She was the one person you absolutely trusted to get the work done, which is the indispensable quality one wants in campaigns and politics. The difference Jill made is that she could get an impossible amount of work done, but do it with humor, grace, enthusiasm and while being universally liked," recalls Bill McInturff, who worked with Jill at the NRCC and on the RNC's voter contact program, and who is currently a partner with Public Opinion Strategies, a leading political and public affairs polling firm.

Jill's truest meaning in life, however, came from her son, Michael Faber. Throughout her career, she was a single mother, and virtually every decision she made was undertaken with Michael in mind. She built her life around supporting and caring for him as a child and was filled with pride when he grew into more than just her adult son, becoming her best friend as well. Michael, too, has joined the political ranks, serving as producer for the Republican media firm Greener and Hook.

Jill's most joyful moments in life often involved riding her beloved horse "Sir," cooking the occasional elaborate recipe, creating a new garden, planning family events, talking on the phone for hours with her two sisters, driving her Mustang with the top down, playing fantasy football and watching Redskins games, browsing for antiques, dancing to Earth, Wind & Fire, clowning around with her six nieces and nephews, doing crosswords with her mom, watching her dog "Libby" compete in field trials, gathering shells on the beach, sitting out on the back porch by the pool, and sharing just a little gossip every now and then.

Beyond the simple pleasures she took from life, she gave so much more back. Her life was a gift to the people closest to her – a gift of warm laughter and dry wit, good-heartedness and generosity, comfort and consideration, and often ferocious protection of those she loved most. The world is a less miraculous place without her here to help us enjoy it – with a board game in front of her and a cocktail in her hand, tossing out a wisecrack, just to make us smile.

Jill leaves behind her son, Michael, of Alexandria, Va.; sisters Nancy Jackson Giordano of Leesburg, Va., and Laurie Jackson Vaughan of Menlo Park, Ca.; her brother, Captain Arthur James Jackson of Kissimmee, Fla.; her mother and father, Nan and Jim Jackson of Orlando; and her nieces and nephews, from youngest to oldest: Lola, Jackson, Tyler, Karin, A.J., and Adam.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. Saturday, September 26, at the Colonial Funeral Home in Leesburg, followed by a celebration of Jill's life at the nearby home of her sister Nancy (43107 Northlake Boulevard, Leesburg, Va. 20176).