Dwight C. Jarvis, 1943 to 2024

Dwight C. Jarvis, beloved brother, husband, and father, died on January 20, 2024, at the age of 80. Dwight was smart, kind, generous, hardworking, honest, creative, thoughtful, joyful, strong, and loving. To those who knew him, he became a north star.

Dwight was a scientist who loved to talk about covalent bonds and ionization, and, as his brother Gary recalls, “Really get down to the nitty gritty, ‘What are those atoms doing in there, anyway?’” But he also loved to tell stories about his childhood, how he and Gary once caught a turtle and another time tried to catch a turkey before they realized turkeys could fly; and about his children, how wonderful they were; and how persistent he had to be to get Carole to agree to marry him; and how his father, who never learned to read or write, was probably the smartest man you would ever meet. Dwight was a man who delighted in a cup of coffee, a bit of food, many cats, many gardens, new ideas for new inventions, and especially his wife Carole, son Charles, and daughter Beth.

Dwight was a committed Christian who regularly thanked his Heavenly Father for his family, the good things in life, and “most of all for your son Jesus, who taught us how to live.” He was a faithful member and lay leader at Pleasant Hill Christian Church, First Christian Church Jonesboro, and McDonough Christian Church, all in Georgia. At the end of his life, he loved to receive communion at home from Hopwood Christian Church, in East Tennessee.

Dwight was born in March 1943 in Cherokee County, Georgia, one of Carl and Trudy Buchannan Jarvis’s seven kids, raised with love and hard work on a farm near Ball Ground. He did well in school and received a scholarship to Emory University, where he earned a bachelor of science degree in 1965 and a master of science in 1966. Upon graduation, he taught chemistry at Reinhardt Junior College (now Reinhardt University), before going to work for Lockheed Martin as a chemical engineer in 1968.

Dwight worked in research and development for the defense contractor for 30 years. Some of the work that he and his team did became critical to the development of home computers and laptops. He retired as a lead engineer, with more than 60 scientists reporting to him.

Dwight was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia in the 1990s and forced to retire because of health issues. As he was able, he continued to work independently, coming up with and patenting numerous inventions, including a new and improved wheel barrow and a floating hitch. One of his favorite things to do was hire someone who needed help and overpay them for their labor.

He died peacefully in his bed at the Johnson City Medical Center, in Johnson City, Tennessee, while his family told him he was loved and his pastors prayed and read Scripture. Dwight was predeceased by his father Carl, mother Trudy, brother Junior, and sister Shirley. He is survived by his wife Carole, son Charles, daughter Beth, brother Gary, and sisters June Turner, Marcia Bobo, and Elsie Ward.

A memorial service is planned at Hopwood Christian Church in Johnson City, TN on Saturday, January 27, 2024, at 2 pm, visitation at 1 pm.