Daddy left us early on the morning of October 16th. He was surrounded with love at “Denham Hill”, a place he loved so much.
He was greeted in Heaven by his sweetheart & wife of 62 years Joyce, who waited 286 days for him arrive. His parents and sister were also there, along with many other loved family & friends.
From the precocious little boy who loved playing pranks on his sisters and mother – to the upstanding young military man who served his country for over seven years before becoming an Air Traffic Controller in 1967-
Jackie Earl made life full of laughter, fun and teasing. Quality time with him always included Pepsi, Wiley Coyote and Jerry Clower.
He never outgrew being that little boy though, who would show up with a bucket of black berries and get his mother, wife or one of his daughters to bake him a cobbler. Daddy enjoyed the simple things in life and loved being surrounded by family and friends.
Daddy perfected the art of “retiring”. He retired from air traffic controlling, only to be called back after President Reagan fired the striking controllers in 1981. He again retired and became an oilfield roughneck along with Summer babysitter to his grandchildren before going back to work at the FAA Aeronautical Center teaching future air traffic controllers. He drove from Kellyville to Oklahoma City so many years that they should have named a part of the turnpike after him before he once again “retired“.
Then 9/11 came and Daddy was called upon to serve his country. At 63 years old, he went to Afghanistan to control & support our military using old school vector techniques that the younger generation of controllers weren’t trained to do. He was so proud of passing that “tweaked” military physical. After serving over five years in Afghanistan, Daddy once again “retired”. The secret to a successful marriage though was Daddy working, so again he went back to teaching at the Aeronautical Center in OKC.
One of his proudest moments was receiving recognition & a standing ovation when the military honored his lifetime contributions and awards at his grandsons Navy Officers Commissioning Ceremony. Most people never knew that “down to earth man” in his denim overalls, was actually an unsung hero. His abilities and experience in the control towers both near & far were vital, saving countless lives over the years.
Waking up to a world without Daddy isn’t something we ever could imagine. The thing about parents is from your birth – they are always there. So how do we move forward with this chapter ending? We soldier on like we were raised to do, but this isn’t an easy task you left for us Daddy. No one will ever be able to fill your shoes. You’ve left a legacy for us and set the bar so high in all your awards, achievements & accomplishments. What a full life you’ve led and we are proud to call you Our Daddy, Our Papa, Our Brother and Our Friend.
