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Charles Jarboe Obituary
Louisville - Charles "Harry" Jarboe died January 30, in Denver, CO where he had been living with his wife Nancy. He was born in Louisville on October 3, 1928 to Elizabeth and Harry Jarboe. After graduating from St. X High School and serving a short time in the Marines, he married our mother Doris Droppelman in 1948. They had six children: Jamie (Doug Butler) of Simpsonville, Harry of Simpsonville, Jeff (Kathy) of Crestwood, Hank (Anne) of Cincinnati, Nancy Doll (Erich) of Louisville, and Elizabeth Crump (Chip) of Chattanooga. Dad is also survived by ten grandchildren and 13 great grandchildren. Our mother Doris Jarboe and his sister Ida Mae Jarboe Buffat died in recent years.
Dad graduated from the University of Louisville where he earned his BSc in Chemistry in 1951 and his PhD in Chemistry in 1956. He was in the first graduating class of the school's PhD Chemistry program. In 1957, he was hired by UL in the Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology in the School of Medicine where he worked until his retirement in 1988 as a Professor.
During the years Dad was at UL, he was very involved in the Louisville community teaching water safety instructors with the American Red Cross and lifeguards with the Jefferson County Board of Public Health and also was a SCUBA instructor for the YMCA.
Dad's post retirement dream was to attend a maritime academy, which he did in 1989 in Traverse City, MI. He also developed expert woodworking skills. Dad met his wife Nancy in Traverse City and enjoyed many happy years there. They also lived in Bonita Springs, FL and Brevard, NC. While living in these areas and also in Louisville, Dad was active in the Episcopal Church. In 2010, they moved to Denver to be near her family.
A memorial service will be held on Friday, March 16 at the Church of the Advent at 901 Baxter Avenue in Louisville beginning at 1:00 PM. Instead of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the UL Department of Pharmacology and Toxicology. Gifts should be made out to: U of L Foundation and mailed to U of L Foundation Cardinal Station, 215 Central Avenue, Suite 300, Louisville, KY 40208 and noted in the memo area of the check "In Memory of Harry Jarboe".
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Memories and Condolences
for Charles Jarboe
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5 Entries
Ruby Sprouse
January 20, 2024
I met Harry in Brevard, NC. He took computer classes from me at the local college. He was so delightful and he made many friends in my classes. I helped him in his home, learning more computer skills. He took my husband and I on a tour of his woodworking shop. I was sad he was moving. We had become fast friends. He told me he asked an outrageous price for his home, thinking it would not sell and delay his move. He was shocked how fast it sold. He was a fine gentleman as was his dear wife. He was proud of his family. He was always learning new things and not afraid to use those skills.
I've really missed Harry!
Condolences to all of you,
Ruby Sprouse
Angus Finnigan
June 6, 2021
We both started together in Lifeboat at GLMA. I remember Harry as a gentleman and as a serious and dedicated student of the nautical sciences. Some years later, when I worked a stint as an engine officer aboard a NOAA ship, I met NOAA Corps Officers who had encountered Harry and related that they held him in high regard; both as a professional mariner and as a researcher.
Michael Crafts
March 3, 2021
I've recently been reading some books about Marines in the battle for Okinawa which led me to thinking about someone I met 23 years ago who was there as a 16 year old - Harry Jarboe. A web search led me to this page where I learned the sad news of his passing. I met Harry in 1998 when we were both enrolled as carpentry students at Lee County Vo-Tech in Ft. Myers, Florida. Though he was 40 years my senior and far more accomplished in his professional life than everyone else in the class, he humbly carried himself as just another student. Through our conversations I learned of him being in the Marines on Okinawa during the battle, and was in awe that he participated in such a gruesome ordeal at such a young age. We sometimes went to lunch together and I would question him about his wartime experiences. I'm pretty well versed in WW II history, but it was from Harry that I learned that the 1st Marine Division was sent to China after the war was officially over and had actually fought there against the communist Chinese. I can still see him sitting across from me in the booth at Sonny's BBQ on Palm Beach Boulevard, with tears welled up in his eyes, when my inquisitive questioning about his experiences went too far. After the course ended we both went our separate ways, but I didn't forget Harry; the much older and experienced man who treated me like a peer.
September 8, 2019
I enjoyed many SCUBA diving trips with Harry in the Florida keys. Just a great guy, sorry I lost contact with him over the years. I knew two of his daughters, Nancy and Jamie, very sweet and beautiful ladies. It was a pleasure knowing Harry and two of his daughters.
Jim Cox
Eustis, FL
September 8, 2019
I enjoyed many SCUBA diving trips with Harry in the Florida keys. Just a great guy, sorry I lost contact with him over the years. I knew two of his daughters, Nancy and Jamie, very sweet and beautiful ladies. It was a pleasure knowing Harry and two of his daughters.
Jim Cox
Eustis, FL
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