Jerre Jean Hynds Darnell December 3, 1926 -- April 19, 2013
Robert D Darnell November 13, 1922 -- December 5, 2014
[Mom and Dad's Home in Country Place, Pearland, TX ~~ 2014]
Dad and Mom were buried yesterday at Houston National Veterans' Cemetery. We had a funeral at South Park Funeral Home before we drove to the cemetery.
[Pictures LINK]
Eulogy for Dad, December 15, 2014
Robert David Darnell, 92, passed away peacefully at the Houston VA Hospital on Friday, December 5, 2014. Robert was born in Abilene on Nov. 13, 1922, to Edward and Lena Darnell. His father passed away at a young age, leaving his mother to raise three children in Abilene. Robert moved to Albuquerque to attend the University of New Mexico, where he lived with his cherished Uncle Dewey and Aunt Margaret. Robert joined the Naval ROTC while at New Mexico then went on to serve in the United States Navy during World War II. He became a Lt. Junior Grade CIC Officer aboard the USS Kinzer. His most notable service came in the Battle of Okinawa.
*Robert was married before the war and he and his wife, Juanita, had a son named Ronald Lanier Darnell. When he returned from the war, he sought out his little family, but conditions at the time led to their divorcing.*
Dad traveled around and met and married Jerre Hynds in 1946. The couple moved frequently while having *[three]* children — David, Sylvia and Patrick — before settling down in Ft. Worth while Robert worked as a regional salesman for Stauffer Chemical. The family then moved to Houston where Robert and Jerre would have their *[fourth]*child, Becky, in 1965. Robert went on to work for Landar with dear friend Robert Lanier. The two met while in New Mexico and remained close until Robert Darnell’s passing. In life, Robert spent much of his time golfing and attending parties with his lovely wife.
The Darnells were very popular in the Country Place subdivision and Robert enjoyed monthly get-togethers with the Old Codgers. Robert was preceded in death by Jerre, his wife of 67 years, and brother Edward. He is survived by his sister Elizabeth Ticer, *[five]* children — Ronald, David, Sylvia, Patrick and Becky — *[nine]* grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Robert was a loving father and adoring grandfather. He will be missed by all that knew him.
***
“Old age is not for sissies,” said Dad. He reminded me of that every day these last months.
At Mom and Dad’s house is a swing in the front yard. There’s room for two people. If you sit on the swing with Dad, you get a full history of all the houses surrounding you, and their owners’ status, living and passed away, neighbors who Dad and Mom lived with daily and partied with nightly. But one of the most important aspects of his stories from the swing is how he and Mom were responsible for the planting of many of the trees on their lot and on other’s lots way back in the early days of their subdivision. They planted trees when they moved to Country Place thirty years ago, and today those trees are magnificent, living testament to them. And Dad will tell you about every tree.
Dad chose to live out his days at the house where so many memories helped him in his daily walk without Mom at his side. Every knick-knack represented some aspect of his long life with Mom. So, we turned Mom and Dad’s house into a nursing home for Dad. Along with the wonderful Houston DeBakey VA Hospital team, our own team of talented and gifted care-givers helped keep Dad comfortable during his decline in health at home. I feel honored and privileged to have worked with all these care-givers, nurses, handy-men, and siblings. A day did not go by that Dad was not looked at, given physical therapy, discussed his pain levels, took vitals, or was fed what he wanted to eat.
“Your Dad is the eternal optimist,” Mom said to me long ago. I think that is because of his brushes with death. His Dad died when he was three years old. He experienced the “Divine Wind” of Japanese WWII suicide planes flying out to sink American ships. And he tells of many instances when he “felt” guardian angles were watching over him. “I am grateful how things went in my life, otherwise I wouldn’t have married Jerre, or had you kids and grand kids,” Dad would say often from his chair by the fireplace.
Dad was a fighter. When he was a senior and due to graduate, during WWII, he tells a story of how he made a very low grade in Chemistry, but had a perfect grade in sports and boxing. “The Naval ROTC officer in charge of commissioning him and his friends told him that he would not be able to graduate and not be going into the Navy, because of his Chemistry grade. Dad was despondent, [my word], and took the news badly. However, the next day the same ROTC officer called Dad in and told him: “Apparently the Navy needs fighters as well as brains, so I have decided to graduate you.” Dad served five years and saw lots of action in the Pacific, he also was indefatigable at boxing and became top ranked. “I am the number one champion of the world, if you don’t believe me, just ask me,” he would say.
Like I mentioned Dad's father, my grandfather, died when Dad was very young. His mom was left with three kids to raise on her own. She had a little grocery store that she operated successfully. Dad remembers those days, and the songs that his mom would sing; one song till this day brings tears to Dad’s eyes:
On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
The emblem of suff’ring and shame;
And I love that old cross where the dearest and best
For a world of lost sinners was slain.
So I’ll cherish the old rugged cross,
Till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
And exchange it some day for a crown.
To the old rugged cross I will ever be true;
Its shame and reproach gladly bear;
Then He’ll call me some day to my home far away,
Where His glory forever I’ll share.
***
Mom and Dad would hold hands on the couch every evening at ten o’clock news time, and discuss the decisions that had to be made. One time Mom and Dad went to New Orleans to decide whether he should take a job with his life-long friend Bob Lanier. They decided it was best to join Lanier in his enterprises, rather than be transferred to Kansas City with his current employer, Stauffer Chemical. “We called Bob Lanier from New Orleans and told him I would take the job,” Dad tells.
In a career that is difficult to summarize, Dad was Land Developer, Bank President, Broker, Appraiser, and Small Business Owner ... just to name a few hats he wore.
On vacation one time Dad took us all to Acapulco, where we found ourselves privileged ... staying at the Hotel Princess Resort. The resort had a big old, spread out, man-made pool, that had a waterfall. I noticed one afternoon that people were going under the waterfall and not coming right back out. So I swam under the waterfall, and there was Dad, smiling like I never saw before and he said, “Patrick, have you ever seen a better place to have a drink?” There was a bar under the waterfall.
***
Neighbors would drop by and parley with us about long life and new life, such as children and grand children. One widow dropped by while Dad and I were sitting outside and after a while she said “You are going to squeeze every last moment out of this life, aren’t you Robert?”
While sitting on the swing last Summer, Dad would ask me what were some sounds he heard; Dad was dependent on hearing aids in both ears. Well it seems, all day long a very persistent dove made his haunting call from the tall trees surrounding us. “What on earth is that dove doing, making that sound all the time?” asked Dad. Many of you know what doves sound like, a two note melancholy wail, one after the other.
I told him it was a turtle dove calling for its mate. Then I would recite this story for him that made him smile:
Yonder doth sit that little turtle dove
He doth sit on yonder high tree
a’ Making a moan
For the loss of his love
As I will do for thee, my dear,
As I will do for thee.
Oh the sea will never run dry, my dear,
Nor the rocks ever melt in the sun,
But I never will prove false
To the Bonnie Lass I love
Till all these things be done, my dear,
Till all these things be done.
***
I mentioned Mom and Dad’s life together is so full, that it is difficult to summarize. That is why I know they are joined in Heaven, continuing their love story, having one more dance around the pool.
They are both there now in the spiritual realm, so we all better watch our steps.
Heaven, be happy, a beautiful man and a beautiful woman have entered your gates, and they are dancing to your eternal music.
_______________________*_________________________*__________________________
*UPDATE* Last week, 3/23/2016, Amy Darnell McCarty contacted me, Patrick, after seeing Dad's youTube ... She email'd me a photo of Robert, Dad, in his Navy uniform ... and "Said, Patrick, I think we are related." It turns out that we are. Amy is one of twin children by Ronald Lanier Darnell, first son of Robert Darnell and Juanita Darnell. They were divorced following WWII. Dad later married Jerre Hynds and they had us four. Big, big happening, dang it. It is a mystery solved. Thanks Amy!
___________________________Reference
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Houston_National_Cemetery
http://www.southparkfunerals.com/obituaries/Robert-Darnell-2/
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