Jackie Quackenbush
Jacqueline “Jackie” Cochrane Quackenbush passed away on April 26, 2022. She was born on July 9th, 1942 at Cottage Hospital to John “Jack” and Daisy Cochrane (Leslie). She was raised in Santa Barbara, completed her A.A. at University of Arizona, spent a stint in San Francisco then San Diego, but eventually returned to her true home, Santa Barbara. As evidenced by the awards, trophies and photos that decorated her house, the highlight of her life was her two beloved children, Ted and Tiffany, her grandchildren and family. However, Jackie was a loving mother to many more people, including nieces, nephews and several ”adopted” teenagers. People were drawn to her unconditional love, her ready laugh and her open door policy. She had a gift for listening to and accepting people, encouraging them to be their best self and turning anger and hurt into laughter. When her “babies” went off to college, she turned her gift into a career by earning a Masters in Counseling from Antioch University. Her 25 year career as a Marriage and Family Therapist could not have been a better fit!
Jackie had an abiding love for animals and nature. Her wild, untamed garden was inhabited by her own pottery creations and overflowed with roses, dahlias, and flowers of all kinds. Her black labradors, Sam and Jazzy, had the run of the house along with various rescued animals including Big Bertha the tortoise, great horned and barn owls, a turkey vulture, peacock, pig, geese, snakes, alligator, and numerous unnamed spiders. It’s no surprise that the Santa Barbara Zoo awarded her a lifetime membership from her decades of service! But it was most important to Jackie to instill these passions in her children and grandchildren. With her love for action and adventures, she took her family on backpacking and hiking trips, beach vacations, river rafting and water skiing trips, sporting events, museum, theater and zoo visits. Jackie rode in the front of the water rides, skinny dipped in the High Sierra lakes and put more than her toes into the city fountains.
Jackie was an artist and a free spirit with a boundless love for life that could not be constrained by the social mores of the world around her. You knew this if you took glass blowing art classes with her. You knew this if you heard her calling “Sammy” throughout the neighborhood in her high soprano choir voice while driving her orange bubble top “snake van.” And you experienced this if you happened upon her Christmas extravaganzas with lights, ornaments and cookies galore attended by all of Montecito!
Jackie never did anything halfway; she did everything with full abandon. This is why her children and grandchildren, family and friends, knew they were deeply loved. She is preceded in death by her parents and her sister Carolyn Ladd Thoroughgood. Jackie is survived by her son and daughter-in-law Ted and Firza Quackenbush, by her daughter and son-in-law Tiffany and David Clark, niece and nephew-in-law Daisy and Mike Moschitto, nephew and niece-in-law Brooks and Tania Thoroughgood, adopted son Justin Nelson, adopted son Zach Fauth, adopted daughter LIsa Barus, grandchildren Brandon and Brittany Clark, and Michael, Eva and Peter Moschitto, and Alton and Teresa Thoroughgood, her childhood sweetheart and husband of 10 years Ned Quackenbush. A family service was held at Mount Carmel church on May 5th, 2022. To join the family in a Celebration of Jackie’s life, please contact 805-969-6154. We express our deepest gratitude to the nurses, caregivers and doctors at Sarah House for their care for her.