Obituaries

Donald Linous Jarvis, Sr., 83, of Sherman, TX was born at St. Vincent hospital Sherman, TX, on January 6, 1940. He was the fourth child of Linous Jarvis and Ava Ora Allums. He passed away on April 20, 2023 in Sherman, TX.

Funeral services will be held on Friday, April 28, 2 p.m. at First United Methodist Church, Sherman, TX. Rev. Joe Ed Goolsby and Rev. Denise Peckham of the church will officiate. Interment will follow the service at Friendship Cemetery in Sherman. The United States Army will accord military honors.

Don L. Jarvis was born in Sherman, TX. He was brought up in the Methodist Church at Key Memorial United Methodist. He graduated from Sherman High School. He loved playing baseball but left his love to load milk trucks before and after school for Foremost and Borden.

After graduation from high school in 1958, he attended Austin College where he continued to work, join the Drake Fraternity, and get married to fellow AC student Sue Jarvis (Martin). Upon graduation he was accepted into law school at Southern Methodist University. The law was going to have to wait because he was called up to the Army and served at Fort Polk, La.

Once Don was Honorably discharged, he contacted SMU to start his law studies. However, SMU informed him that they had never received his diploma from AC. So, that summer he took the required Spanish class needed (ironically, he had been in the Spanish club in High School) to finish his degree in Political Science and Economics.

By now he had a family, so he was unable to attend law school as a full-time student and instead had to attend as a part time night student while working full time during the day for Dallas Power and Light. At SMU he was a member of the Phi Alpha Delta fraternity.

Don graduated from SMU (he would say, “barely graduated”) but in his typical fashion made the highest score on that year’s State Bar Exam and therefore was chosen to represent SMU School of Law at a special new attorney “swearing in ceremony” instead of more credentialed graduates. (Don would later recount with a laugh that, “my evidence Professor stopped me, I was waiting for a grand congratulations but instead he said, ‘I still think you are a dumb***’”).

He came back to Sherman and started working in the legal field with the Hon. Charley Hughes where he did most of the condemnation work on what is now Highway 75. He also was a prosecutor under the Hon. Clifford Powell and with Robert Earl Richardson and later as a partner with them. At one time or another he was partners with many distinguished lawyers from Texomaland including: Hon. Ray Grisham, Hon. Jim Fry, Hon. Steve Davidchik, Hon. Robert Jarvis, Hon. Roger Sanders, Hon. Phil Schaffer, R. J. Hagood, Mike Thompson, Lou Emerson, and so forth. At one time theirs was the largest law firm between Dallas and Oklahoma City. Don was a member of the Texas State Bar for more than fifty years and was known as a friend and mentor to many of the attorneys of North Texas.

Don was elected and retired as a senior judge serving the citizens Grayson and Collin. As an early proponent member of the ADR movement, he served as a renowned mediator as well as many appointments in various counties in need of a seasoned judge in controversial legal situations.

Don was committed to public service and teaching. He was President of the Grayson Bar Association. He was Exalted Ruler of the Sherman Elks. He served for many years on Sherman’s Planning and Zoning board and many other community organizations. He taught at Grayson College. He was a member of Andrew Randell Masonic Lodge and a member of the Dallas Scottish Rite. He served on the 4th and 7th degree teams at Scottish Rite reunions. He along with his father was a member of the Odd Fellows. He worked with the ACLU and Boys and Girls Club among many others.

Later in life he married Sue Terry (Williams) and became a member of the Terry/Williams family.

He was preceded in death by his parents; his siblings Thomas Jarvis and his wife Jerri Jarvis (Adams), Steve Box, Steve White; his nephew John Jarvis; his great-grandsons Iziah Wimbish and Kai Flowers.

He is survived by his wife Sue Terry and his siblings Martha Box of Highland Park, Bill Jarvis and his wife Joyce of Sherman, Kay White of Austin, Joe Williams and wife Brenda, and Fonda Huneycutt, mother-in-law Polly Williams, children Halley Jarvis and former husbands Steve Taylor and Steve Flowers, Donnie Jarvis and his wife Marina Jarvis (Nicholson); Chip Jarvis and his former spouse Carrie Jarvis. Alex Terry and wife Jana, Levi Terry and his wife Jennifer and Page Terry. Don is survived by his ten grandchildren: S. Lee Taylor, Mallory Flowers, Ava “Rhia” Jarvis, Rowdy Farmer, Thomas Jarvis, Donald “Duke” Jarvis, III, Chelsea Jane Jarvis, Creed Lee Jarvis, Lincoln “Lulu” Jarvis, Harper James, and Raider Kelly Jarvis. Don survived by five great-grandchildren: Layla Gabrielle Flowers, Jayden Lee Taylor, Zane Edward Owens, Alaina Beth Taylor and Ryker Leelynn Taylor. Don is also survived by many other cousins, nieces, and nephews.

The pallbearers are Bob Jarvis, Lee Taylor, Rick Lashley, Alex Terry, Harrell Huneycutt, and Duke Jarvis.

There will be a get together for family and friends at the Sherman Elks at 5:00 p.m. Friday after the Services.

In lieu of flowers, Memorials may be given to Children’s Hospital in Dallas https://donate.childrens.com and the Dallas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children https://scottishriteforchildren.org.

Our family wishes to extend sincere thanks to the people of Texomaland. We have always been a rowdy bunch, but you have always loved and supported us. It has been a comfort for us to know our father touched so many lives serving this community. We are blessed to be counted as your friends!

You may sign the online guestbook at www.Dannelfuneralhome.com.