Gladys Delsol

Gladys Olivia Delsol passed away on December 19, 2025, at the age of 95. Although born and raised in Fort Bragg, CA, Gladys (Ojanpera), grew up speaking only Finnish until she entered the first grade of a one-room schoolhouse at Company Ranch, a Finnish community on the Noyo River just east of Fort Bragg. Children at play have a way of teaching each other quickly, and Gladys became “Americanized” early, even while surrounded by Finnish-speaking relatives and neighbors.

After high school, Gladys married young (Kenneth Jackson) and began life as a mother in Mendocino, CA. She worked hard, first as a grocery clerk, then as chief meat cutter at the venerable Mendosa’s Market. She also helped build a house on Jackson Street in Mendocino for her growing family. Eventually, she trained to be a dinner-house waitress at the renowned Heritage House, adding yet another chapter to a life defined by grit, competence, and steady humor.

During those early years of working and raising three children, Gladys also served her community. She became an elder in the Presbyterian Church, a District Officer of the American Legion Auxiliary, and took her turn as den mother for her sons and their scouting friends in Mendocino.

Later, she became a single parent and went to work at the also renowned Little River Inn, a fortuitous move, because it was there, she met her beloved husband, Lou, who stopped in for a quick bite and a beer. Things quickly got serious, courting followed, and the two families merged and settled together in Ukiah in 1969.

For sixteen years, as the wife of a minor politician (Lou served as Mendocino County Superintendent of Schools during this time), Gladys continued working and contributing wherever she was needed. Both eventually retired in the late 1980s, but retirement didn’t stick to Gladys the way it does for other people. Shortly thereafter, she joined Emblem and became its president in her second year (1994–95). Still not finished, she completed a demanding, but “most gratifying”, year as the First Lady of Rotary District 5130 (Northcoast counties) in 1998–99, a year full of duties, hostessing, and travel. Gladys remained active with the Red Hats until her final days.

Gladys loved to travel and brought curiosity with her wherever she went. She also loved something simpler and closer to home: a drive to “the coast”, Mendocino and Fort Bragg, where many of her ancestors are buried and where her roots always felt near. She loved the scenery, the quiet power of that stretch of Northern California, and the small, perfect details that make it unforgettable: the lady slippers, the huckleberries, and the feeling that the land itself still held her family’s story.

At home, she enjoyed a nightly glass of wine and was a gourmet cook, someone who didn’t just feed people, but took pride in doing it well. Her dining room table was always “set” correctly for friends and family to share a meal; intentional, welcoming, and done with care. Meals were meant to be shared: hands held, and a prayer offered for each one gathered around the table. And if the San Francisco Giants were playing, she was paying attention; she loved her Giants with the kind of loyalty that doesn’t require a winning season to stay committed.

Gladys ‘GAMMY’ as she was known by her family, loved her family, and her family loved her. She was stubborn and funny; an excellent philosophy for living well for 95 years.

Gladys is survived by her son, Walter Jackson (Barbara) of Boise, Idaho; her daughter, Diane Dallas of Ukiah, CA; and her step-daughter, Chris Delsol (Ken) of San Mateo, CA. She is also survived by her eight grandchildren, thirteen great-grandchildren, and six great-great-grandchildren, with another great-great-grandchild debuting in February.

Gammy is preceded in death by her beloved husband Louis “Lou” “Granpere” Delsol who passed away in August of 2004; her mother Sylvia; her brother Walt; and her son, Steve Jackson.

The family extends heartfelt thanks to the medical staff who provided compassionate care over the past month.

GAMMY’s (Gladys) celebration of life will be held late spring 2026.