John B. Thackston, 72, passed away February 5, 2021, at the JRC Intermediate Care Facility in Dexter.
John was born July 3, 1948, in Watertown. The son of John and Marilyn (Heinrich) Thackston, John was a survivor of serious illness as a baby which left him crippled and resulted in permanent brain damage. His physical abilities deteriorated as he aged but he lived a happy and fulfilled life.
In 1954, his parents along with other parents with handicapped children formed a group that ultimately evolved into the creation of the Association for Retarded Children. The ARC flourished into the Jefferson Rehabilitation Center and is now the Arc Jefferson-St. Lawrence. John lived his adult life in one of the JRC:s Intermediate Care homes and spent a great deal of time with family during those years with many weekends at home and day trips to his brothersâ house where family, friends and relatives would gather.