David Paul Jarrett

1952 - 2016

David Paul Jarrett

Whites Creek, TN

David Paul Jarrett died on July 27, 2016 at his home of nearly three decades in Whites Creek, TN. Born December 18, 1952 in Russellville, AR, he and his siblings endured but enjoyed a nomadic life throughout the Midwest and Midsouth following their father's career as a factory engineer. The family settled in Clarksville, TN, which led to David's attending Austin Peay University, where he attained a BS in Chemistry and Biology. After meeting his wife as an undergraduate, the couple settled in Nashville. David completed his studies at Vanderbilt University, where he attained a MS in Environmental and Water Resources Engineering. He worked extensively for construction and engineering consulting firms, the defense industry, and occasionally taught engineering classes at local colleges. He designed various municipal waste water facilities in Tennessee and Kentucky. Most recently he worked in the Regulatory Compliance Section of the Division of Solid Waste Management for the Tennessee Department of Environment and Conservation.

He leaves behind his steadfast wife of 41 years Linda Thompson Jarrett; mother, Dorothy Schilling Jarrett of Clarksville, TN; brother, Park Gordon (Karen) Jarrett, III of Dripping Springs, TX; sister, Mary Jarrett of Clarksville, TN; son, Josh (Fiance Erin Bower) Jarrett; daughter, Jordan Jarrett (Scott) Anderson; grandchildren Jack and Sigrid Anderson. He was preceded in death by his sister Pamela Jarrett and father, Park Gordon Jarrett II.

David was a quiet, reflective man, of broad talent but humble, serious in his focus and energetic in his activities. If something was worth doing, it was worth doing well, and that is how he measured himself and others. A lifelong outdoorsman, he enjoyed fishing and hunting a variety of game. At midlife, he expanded this interest into small scale commercial farming, successfully growing and managing herds of beef cattle, but frequently clashing with an unruly goat population. He also had a passion for woodwork, for which he was his own most frequent and objective critic. David was most content standing in his tool shop, surrounded by his hunting dogs, looking through the window at his farmland and prioritizing what the next day's tasks would be.

The family will hold a private memorial service.