A native of Lichfield, Staffordshire, Walter came from an academic family. He was the second of five children of Walter Jackson (d. 1964), headmaster, and Lilian Nellie nee Hawley (d. 1968). Dorothy (1902-1969), Phyllis (1905-1989), Geoffrey (1910-2002) and Margaret (1913-1983), were the others.
Walter attended Culham Training College and King’s College, London University where he took a degree in English. He moved to Wokingham in 1931 and, during the Second World War, was superintendent of the Wokingham Evening Institute, secretary of the Wokingham Youth Centre and a member of the County Youth Committee.
By 1945, near the end of the war, Walter was teaching at Windsor Boys School and in that year he left to establish Woodley Hill Grammar School. It took him six months. to transform Woodley Hill House, a rambling Victorian mansion, into a school, write a curriculum and find four suitable teachers. One of his first tasks was to design a school badge and uniform. The school continued to expand and outgrew the premises, so in 1957, it transferred to the new Forest Grammar School, Winnersh, where he continued to be headmaster. Woodly Hill Grammar School returned to Woodley Hill House and is now used as an adult education centre.
Walter married Constance May Mailes (Connie) (1904-1953), a Domestic Science teacher and part-time Needlework teacher at Luckley Girls’ School (now Luckley House). They had two daughters, Margaret (b. 1932) and Mary (b. 1936), later Mrs. Sabine. The Jackson family lived at 68, London Road and later at Pentlands, Southlands Road, after the death of his wife and his subsequent marriage to Pamela Carter (b. 1922). They had a son Graham (b. 1958)
Noted for his enthusiasm, thoroughness and flair for organisation Walter keenly supported various events organised by Pamela who was treasurer of sailors’ charities. He was also a keen gardener and often opened his garden for such events. He enjoyed sports, particularly badminton and tennis, having his own grass tennis court at home.
On the 2nd of October 1980, Walter was fatally injured in an accident involving a bus and car as he crossed George Street in Caversham. His funeral service was held at All Saints Church, Wokingham followed by a private one at Easthampstead Crematorium.
Wokingham Town Museum Unique Identifier: WTH0117