Robert "Pat" Jarrett

Robert Patterson (“Pat”) Jarrett passed away peacefully at 12:03 AM ET on March 28, 2020, at the Franciscan Hospice House in Indianapolis, In.

Pat was born on August 10, 1922, in Temple, Ok, to Alexander Ramsey Jarrett and Claire Modesta Patterson Jarrett. He grew up in Temple where he graduated from Temple HS. Pat attended college at Texas Tech for three years before he entered the Army to join in WWII in 1943. He graduated from paratroop school and was sent to France in 1944 where he served with the 101st Airborne Screaming Eagles and the 82nd Airborne Divisions where he made 27 jumps behind enemy lines in France and Germany. At 24 years of age, 1st Lieutenant Pat had two SS Divisions (each with 10,000 members (including tanks) attempt to surrender to Gen. Maxwell Taylor through him. He fed them and sent them on to Rosenheim. Pat was sitting on a “duck” ready for more War action when the cease fire was declared.  He then paraded with the 82nd Airborne Unit in the New York Victory Parade as well as throughout the United States. His job for this effort was to insure that all helmets had the correct insignias.

After the War, Pat finished college studies at the University of Oklahoma where he obtained a degree in Civil Engineering. He also was a member of the Sooner football team coached by the great Bud Wilkinson with Darrell Royal at quarterback. He was a speedster and ran a 9.0 100-yd. dash, so it was very difficult to tackle him.

In 1947, he married nurse Betty June Johnson, in an Oklahoma ceremony. Upon graduation, he accepted an entry-level engineering position with Universal Atlas Cement (a division of US Steel), where he rose to be assistant plant manager of numerous plants, among them Fairborn, Ohio & Independence, Ks; and plant manager of Duluth, Mn; Hudson, NY; and,  Buffington (Gary), In. After retirement he worked for various companies with the last one being CP Recycling out of Muskegon, MI. He officially retired at the age of 78.

Pat is survived by his daughter Alexis of Schererville, In, and Les (Kathy) of Indianapolis, In, daughter-in-law Margaret Watkins, Hatly/Amory, Ms, 5 grandchildren, 2 great grandchildren and niece Carmen (Arlan) Richardson of Oklahoma City, OK and was preceded in death by his wife Betty, son Bob, his parents, and his sister Charlotte and brother Alex.

Graveside services with full military honors were held on Friday, April 3, 2020, at the Stilwell City Cemetery, Stilwell, OK with Pastor Charles Wayne Crozier officiating and under the direction of Roberts/Reed Culver Funeral Home.