Rev. Mary “Azima” French Jackson, 77, passed away peacefully on Friday, Feb. 17, 2023, at her home in Guilford. Mary was born in Seattle in 1945 and graduated from the Ethel Walker School in Simsbury. Known as “Bonnie” in her youth, she was a gifted singer, songwriter, musician, and athlete with a passion for animals and the ocean. Mary received a bachelor of arts in French from Sweet Briar College and went on to earn a master of science in biological sciences from Fordham University, a master of divinity from Yale Divinity School, and a doctorate in ministry from the University of Creation Spirituality.

She is survived by her daughter, Elizabeth French Werbe; two brothers, Richard Seymour Jackson, Jr. (Linda) and James Mathes Jackson (Valerie); and former husband, Thomas Chandler Werbe, III. Mary was preceded in death by her mother, Mary French Mathes, and her father, Richard Seymour Jackson.

Before moving to Guilford, Mary lived in Greenwich, where she grew up and raised a family. She was a member of The Grace Notes, a female acapella group, served as co-president of the PTA at Glenville and Central Middle Schools, and worked as Director of Christian Education at Round Hill Community Church. After graduating from Yale, Mary was ordained as an Interfaith Minister and worked as a chaplain in hospitals, supporting those in the process of passing. She took on the name “Azima,” an Arabic name meaning ecstasy and light, when she was inducted into the Sufi order.

Mary uplifted all whose lives she touched, despite navigating serious health challenges. The debilitating pain she experienced from Crohn’s disease set her on a path of spiritual inquiry and led her to embrace music as a primary avenue to healing. Soothing melodies and lyrics would come to her when she needed comfort and protection. She loved leading universal worship services and engaged in deep spiritual exploration through sound while studying Indian devotional music. Her calling was to guide others in awakening to their soul’s wisdom through music, ritual, and spirituality, helping them navigate rites of passage and creating sacred ceremonies honoring life’s transitions.

When she was told she had stage four cancer, Mary viewed this health crisis as her own moment of awakening. She again sought to transform darkness into light through the healing power of music. By fully embracing her own voice, embodying her soul’s essence, and channeling the angelic love that holds us all, Mary shared her soul’s gifts through song. She produced four CDs of original songs: Journey of Song: Coming Home, Journey of Song for Life’s Transitions, Angel Love, and Passages Through Light. In addition to her role as Founder and Director at House of Light, she was a dean and spiritual director at Awakening Awareness Academy.

Mary’s legacy will live on through her music and in her loved ones. In addition to her wisdom, courage, and inspiring presence, she will be remembered for being true to herself. She aspired to Rumi’s quote: “My religion is love, and every heart is my temple,” and ultimately came to recognize her own heart as her temple.

A private celebration of life will be planned by the family in the coming months. Financial contributions may be made in honor of Mary’s life to the Awakening Awareness Academy, www.awakeningawarenessacademy.com. More information about Mary can be found on her website, www.maryazima.com.