Robert David Jackson

{{Infobox officeholder

| name = David Jackson

| birth_name = Robert David Jackson

| birth_date = {{birth date|1934|12|26|df=y}}

| birth_place = London, United Kingdom

| death_date = {{death date and age|2021|5|9|1934|12|26|df=y}}

| death_place = Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, Canada

| occupation = Diplomat

| alma_mater = University of British Columbia, London School of Economics

| office1 = Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Lebanon

| term_start1 = 22 September 1982

| term_end1 = 1984

| predecessor1 = Théodore Jean Arcand

| successor1 = Jacques Noiseux

| monarch1 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister1 = Pierre Trudeau

| office2 = Canadian Ambassador Extraordinary and Plenipotentiary to Syria

| term_start2 = 22 September 1982

| term_end2 = 1984

| predecessor2 = Théodore Jean Arcand

| successor2 = Keith William MacLellan

| order2 = 7th

| monarch2 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister2 = Pierre Trudeau

| office3 = 10th Canadian Commissioner in ICSC for Laos

| term_start3 = 1 September 1972

| term_end3 = 22 May 1973

| predecessor3 = Albert Frederick Hart

| successor3 = André S. Simard

| monarch3 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister3 = Pierre Trudeau

| office4 = 14th Canadian Commissioner in ICSC for Vietnam

| term_start4 = 28 June 1971

| term_end4 = 22 May 1973

| predecessor4 = Albert Frederick Hart

| successor4 = Office abolished

| monarch4 = Elizabeth II

| primeminister4 = Pierre Trudeau

}}

Robert David Jackson (26 December 1934 – 9 May 2021) was a Canadian diplomat who served in various international roles, including as Canadian Ambassador to Syria and Lebanon from 1982 to 1984.

Early life and education

Jackson was born in London, United Kingdom, on 26 December 1934. As a child, he survived the London Blitz during World War II. After the war, he emigrated to Canada with his mother and sister, settling in Vancouver, British Columbia. Jackson attended Lord Byng Secondary School, graduating as valedictorian in 1952.{{cite web |title=Robert "David" Jackson Obituary |url=https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/robert-jackson-1082609475 |website=Vancouver Sun |date=19 June 2021 |access-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20241110224716/https://vancouversunandprovince.remembering.ca/obituary/robert-jackson-1082609475 |archive-date=10 November 2024 |url-status=live}} He pursued studies in international and political science at the University of British Columbia from 1952 to 1956 and later attended Hamburg University in 1955 and the London School of Economics from 1956 to 1960.

Jackson was a recipient of the IODE War Memorial Scholarship in 1958, an award granted for academic excellence in his field.{{cite web |title=Robert "David" Jackson Obituary |url=https://www.stgeorgefh.ca/obituaries/154276 |website=St. George Funeral Home |access-date=11 November 2024 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210724032352/https://www.stgeorgefh.ca/obituaries/154276 |archive-date=24 July 2021 |url-status=live}}

Diplomatic career

Jackson joined the Canadian Department of External Affairs in 1960 and began a diplomatic career representing Canada abroad.{{cite web |title=Canadian Heads of Mission Abroad since 1800 - Posting Dashboard: Jackson, Robert David (Career) |url=https://w05.international.gc.ca/CHOMA-CDMCE/Posting?personId=731 |publisher=Global Affairs Canada |access-date=11 November 2024}} His early assignments included postings in Germany, Hong Kong, Vietnam, and Laos. In 1982, he was appointed the Canadian Ambassador to Lebanon and Syria. Jackson was one of the last embassy members to remain in Beirut during the 1984 international evacuation.

Later life and legacy

Following his retirement in 1997, Jackson returned to Canada, settling in Seeley Cove, New Brunswick. He spent his final years at the Fundy Nursing Home in Blacks Harbour, New Brunswick, where he died peacefully on 9 May 2021 at the age of 86.