Brendan J. Jackson

Brendan Joseph Jackson, 42, passed away unexpectedly, June 15, 2025 at Duck Hole, Franklin County, N.Y. Brendan was born in Albany, N.Y., on Easter Sunday April 3, 1983, the son of Eric and Mary Louise (Delehanty) Jackson. A resident of Delmar, N.Y., he was a graduate of the Bethlehem Central High School, received an Associate Degree in Mechanical Engineering from RIT, a Bachelor’s in Forestry from Paul Smith’s College and a Master’s in Forest Resource Management from the SUNY College of Environmental Science and Forestry.

Brendan’s passion in the outdoors took off when he attended Paul Smith’s College. With the school outing club he helped lead hiking and backpacking trips, including in the Winter. He also went on numerous personal trips, including finishing the Adirondack’s 46 high peaks. He would later go on to finish all 46 peaks in the winter, hiking many of them multiple times.

After college, Brendan joined the DEC as a seasonal Assistant Forest Ranger, a role he would continue to return to annually. In the off season, Brendan pursued a number of jobs in the outdoors that took him around the country, including volunteering for the Northern Forest Canoe Trail, documenting tree maintenance along power lines and working as caretaker at the Lake Colden Interior Outpost.

In recent years, Brendan was posted as an Assistant Forest Ranger in the southern High Peaks - one of the more visited areas of the Adirondack Park. He encountered many people on the trails, making sure they were prepared and assisting as needed. He loved dogs, and especially taking them along on hikes and backpacking trips.

Brendan educated hikers online as well, posting in Adirondack related forums under the user name DSettahr. His posts were informative and direct, seeking to share the knowledge that would keep people safe and preserve the wilderness areas.

Brendan is survived by his parents; his sisters Annie Jackson (Stephen Smigielski) of Roanoke, Va. and Carrie Jackson of Saratoga; and his paternal grandmother Katherine Jean (Caswell) Jackson (late Frederick); his aunts Patricia (Delehanty) Tuzzolo (late Richard) and Joy (Jackson) Dohring (John); his uncles John Delehanty (Wendy) and Todd Jackson (late Jane); and many first cousins. He is also survived by his good friends Sam Prestidge and Danielle Dorfer Carr.

The family will receive visitors on Wednesday, June 25, 2025 from 1:00 to 2:00 p.m. at Applebee Funeral Home, 403 Kenwood Avenue, Delmar. A celebration of life will follow at 2:00 p.m. at the Funeral Home.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made online to The Adirondack High Peaks Summit Stewardship Program, hosted by the Adirondack Mountain Club website.