Nettie Belle Jackson, 84, businesswoman and family matriarch

NETTIE BELLE WALKER was strolling along Germantown Avenue with a girlfriend one spring day in 1950 when she spotted the handsome young man who would be her husband.

The chance encounter with Woodville Jackson - she would have called it fate - led to a "whirlwind romance," as her family described it, and marriage just two months later on April 29, 1950.

Their 55-year marriage produced five children before his death in 2006.

Nettie Belle Jackson, a former practical nurse, a savvy businesswoman who invested in real estate and ran her own child-care center for a time, a devoted churchwoman and loving mother, grandmother and great-grandmother, died July 27 at the age of 84.

Nettie was a busy community activist, serving as a block captain, Girl Scout leader, judge of elections and reading specialist, among others.

She was a worthy matron in the Deborah Chapter of the Order of the Eastern Star.

"Nettie did not have a shy bone in her body," her family said. "In fact. she was known as the life of the party. She enjoyed getting together with family and was usually the first one to jump up and dance or sing, officiate at family gatherings, and be the last one to leave.

"Nettie enjoyed public speaking, and was quite the conversationalist. She skillfully spoke with the perfect combination of eloquence and humor. She never hesitated to tell a rip-roaring joke when she felt it appropriate.

"She was knowledgeable on a wide range of topics that mattered to her. She especially liked discussing politics and current events."

Nettie was a wizard with needle and thread, and created and designed gowns, dresses and costumes for herself, family and children's events. Her wizardry also extended to the kitchen, where she concocted gourmet dishes for family and guests.

She was the block captain of N. 21st Street between Church Lane and Spencer Street, planned parties, fundraisers and otherwise served her neighborhood.

Nettie was active with the Home and School Association of the Pennell Elementary School when her children went there. She served as a reading specialist at Martin Luther King High School and John B. Kelly Elementary School.

Nettie was born in Philadelphia, the only child of Marion Walker and the former Hattie D. Gleaton. The family lived for a time in Stamford, Conn., before returning to Philadelphia. Nettie graduated from Simon Gratz High School, then attended a nursing school to earn her licensed practical nurse degree.

She joined Philippian Baptist Church in 1969 and was an active member for nearly 40 years. She was ordained a deaconess.

Nettie and her husband enjoyed spending time at their summer home in Pleasantville, N.J., where she hosted family reunions and other get-togethers with family and friends.

She is survived by four daughters, Delcina Turner, Cheryl Peele, Kathy Jackson-O'Connor and Vanessa Owens; 13 grandchildren; and 15 great-grandchildren. She was predeceased by a son, Woodville Jackson Jr.

Services: Were Monday. Burial was at Chelten Hills Cemetery.