The founder of one of Maricopa’s oldest businesses, Wildcat Landscape Materials, has died. 

Terry Jackson, who founded the company in 2004 and owned it for 15 years, died Dec. 6. He was 73.

“Everybody knew him well,” said Donnelle Schimpa, whom Jackson trained to take over his business so he could retire with his wife, Marsha, in 2019. 

Schimpa said Jackson made the job of running Wildcat, on McDavid Road, look easy. 

After she took over, she soon found out it was anything but that.  

She called in her husband, Donny, to help her run the rock and gravel supply company and it has grown to be a family-owned operation.

“He was such a friendly fellow,” Schimpa said of Jackson, who saw the need for a rock and gravel supplier in Maricopa when he was delivering the hardscape product himself before the city grew to 75,000-plus people today. 

Schimpa said the only thing she changed about the business was its name, Wildcat Landscape Supply (previously Wildcat Landscape Materials), a decision she admitted she regrets.

“There were quite a few landscapers who worked with him,” she told InMaricopa. “He did installs until the 2008 crash and quite a few of the contractors worked with him and then started up their own businesses. He was very proud of that.” 

A Facebook post on behalf of the Jackon family said: 

“Those of you that knew him well knew he was one hard-working cowboy! He saw a vision and made it happen. He made many friends out here, watched many landscape contractors start their businesses from scratch and do very well and he was proud to be part of it. He loved his family and was extremely proud to be a grandfather.”

Schimpa called him a “hard-working guy.” 

“He will be extremely missed, and my family and I will forever be thankful for picking us to keep his Maricopa dream alive,” she said.