Jesse Vardaman Jr.
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Jesse H. (Jack) Vardaman Jr., resident of Alpharetta, Georgia, passed away at the age of 95 Tuesday morning, 9/15/2020, in his family home of 47 years.
Jack was born in Millersburg, Ohio to Elsie Bell Vardaman and Jesse H. Vardaman, Sr. on November 4,1924. Jack attended and graduated from Bessemer High School in Alabama. At 18 years old, when the war effort in the South Pacific was heating up during WWII, Jack joined the United States Navy earning the rank of Petty Officer, Second Class Sonarman, and was then stationed aboard the USS David W. Taylor. Jack is a decorated veteran who was awarded many medals for his time and valiant efforts serving the country he loved during WWII and The Korean War. Jack saw battle in the South Pacific Ocean at the Battle of the Philippine Sea, and the Marianas Islands Campaign, as well as seeing action at the Battle of Okinawa. Jack was aboard the David W. Taylor when the Taylor was acting as an escort for a convoy carrying occupation troops for Japan, and he was later present for the 1945 surrender of Japan.
Jack graduated from the Atlanta Division of the University of Georgia in 1954. Jack spent his career as a dedicated civil servant for the Internal Revenue Service, retiring in 1985. Jack had several deeply loved hobbies and interests. Because of his dedication and love for genealogy, he was known to be one of the foremost Vardaman family historians in the nation. Jack's incredible talent and devotion to the research and documentation of Vardaman Family and extended Family genealogical information will serve countless families and family historians for infinite years to come. Jack was an avid bowler in the local senior leagues. Bowling was one of his favorite pastimes which is where he met some of his closest and most cherished friends.
Jack Vardaman is preceded in death by his long term companion, Carolyn (Wylodene) Rucker
and his beloved daughter Paula Jeanne Vardaman.
Jack is survived by daughter Toni Kennett-Moody, her spouse Chester Moody, son Jesse H. Vardaman III, daughter Jennifer Skywark, granddaughters Alyson Kennett and Jessica Skywark, great grandchildren, Cody and Corey Little and Ben Trudeau, and great-great grandchildren, Melanie and Selah Little.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to K9's For Warriors or The Folds of Honor.
Visitation and will be Saturday, September 19, 2020 from 10am to 1pm at Darby Funeral Home.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, September 19, 2020 at 1pm from the chapel of Darby Funeral Home with Rev. Dean Vonfeldt officiating.
Interment will be at Georgia National Cemetery on Tuesday, September 22, 2020 at 10:30am.
The caring staff of Darby Funeral Home is honored to serve the Vardaman family.