Many of us knew Jack from performing at Storyfest and TELLABRATION!, working with him at the same schools or churches, attending his library, festival, fair or park performances. He was a friendly guy with a ready smile who was always ready to lend a hand or answer a question.
In addition to being a popular storyteller, Jack was a gifted musician. He played guitar, fiddle, 5-string banjo and an assortment of small percussion instruments--including an amplified toy box lid. A songwriter “with one foot in American folk tradition and the other joyfully lost in the landscape of imagination,” Jack was also a published author of children’s books plus a collection of his songs. There are ten CDs and 8 simple folk instruments for sale on his website http://jackpearson.org/store/.
Since 1973 Jack performed full-time for kids and families in the Upper Midwest and around the country. He worked with K-6 kids in schools as both a performer and resident artist. He also worked with churches helping with worship or doing a concert for the kids or families.
Jack died unexpectedly on January 5th, less than two weeks after checking into the hospital and being diagnosed with aggressive lymphatic cancer on December 27th. He was only 63.
During his time in the ICU, Jack incurred significant medical bills. It's unclear how much will be covered by insurance. His wife Nancy is on medical disability for MS and can't work. You can make a contribution to help Nancy at https://www.gofundme.com/jack-pearson-memorial-fund or mail a check to
Nancy Pearson, 4533 16th Ave. S., Minneapolis, MN 55407.
On Saturday, May 6th there will be a celebration of Jack's life St. Joan of Arc church, 4537 3rd Ave. So. Minneapolis, MN 55419. The doors will open at 1:00 pm and the program begins at 2:00 pm.
