05/17/2022
A TRIBUTE TO
THE LIFE AND TIMES OF
BRIAN PRESTON JARRETT
On the wintery night of February 15, 1961, in Charleston, West Virginia, the earth rumbled in preparation for the birth of a precious little one. This child would be added as a descendent of the extensive line of his known paternal and maternal ancestors. After much delay, Brian Preston Jarrett and his twin brother Brant Kevin Jarrett, to everyone surprise, tumbled into the world. Brian weighed in at 2 pounds – twelve ounces and Brant weighed in at 1 pound -eleven ounces. Their parents James F. “Wahoo” and Phyllis Preston “Fifi” Jarrett were astonished over the identical appearance of their little red-haired babies. Truly they were a creation of God and were precious in his sight. After four days in their incubators, Brant was returned to his Heavenly Father, but Brian remained here on earth. After two months and now weighing 5 pounds, Brian came home from the hospital. This “Tiny Prince” was carried around on a pillow like the stately prince he was. He was cared for and loved by his grandmothers, the late Ruth Fortson Jarrett and the late Louise Buster Preston, his great grandmothers, the late Maria Acosta Fortson, the late Rebecca Carr Preston and great grandfather, Charles M. Preston, along with his great aunt, Jean Buster Locke. It was a phenomenal occurrence in his life that he got to experience the love of grandparents. great grandparents and two great aunts.
Through sheer determination and strength, Brian grew from a “tiny Prince on a pillow” into a “rambunctious, toddler Prince.” Years passed and he soon ventured out to see what this world was all about.
Still remaining in his family village were a special aunt, Murriel Ruth Jarrett, a special uncle, the late Larry George Jarrett, I.
Brian spent his formative years in Charleston and attended Chamberlain Elementary School in Kanawha City. At the age of ten, he was moved to Dayton, Ohio, but spent many summers back in Charleston, where he worked at his grandparents’ funeral home. He graduated from Dayton, Ohio’s Chaminade-Julienne Catholic High School , 1979. There, he excelled as a star football player, playing as a middle guard, a defensive end and a down lineman. He was a furious player and a force to be reckoned with on the playing field. All his sporting achievements were a huge delight for his father, who was also a star football player and grandfather, Garnet and Charleston High School’s coach , the late Coach James R. Jarrett. “Oh, how they did brag about him.” During Brian’s senior year, of high school, he was offered many football scholarships to well-known colleges, for example: Ohio State University. Bowling Green State University. Washington University at St. Louis, Missouri. Due to a severe shoulder injury, a scholarship had to be turn down. With knowing his football days were over, he decided to go to a HBCU - Hampton University in Hampton, Virginia and later to West Virginia State University.
During his summer breaks from college, again, he spent his summers working at the funeral home in Charleston. It soon became apparent that Brian had a knack for the funeral business. To follow in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Brian enrolled at the alma mater of his father, The Cincinnati College of Mortuary Science. Here, he received a degree in Funeral Directing and Embalming. This endeavor was the gratification of knowing the touch would be passed, by his other grandfather Merrill H. Preston, founder of the Preston Funeral, Inc. Brian would complete his apprenticeship under his father and after passing the West Virginia State Funeral Directors and Embalming Boards, he was awarded his State License. Years later after the demise of his father and grandfather, Brian became the Licensee in charge of the funeral home and became the third generation of licensees in the history of the family business. It was during this time he met and then married Lillian Yvonne “Cookie” Bush on March 12, 2011. Together they managed the funeral business with the help of other family members. No children were born to this union, but Brian became a stepfather to Johnathan Bush and the late Dominic Clark and step-grandfather to Samiya, Cameron, Kanye, Joy Bush and Adalynn “Addy” Clark. Later he and “Cookie” received joint custody of Addy.” Helping to raising this child was one of Brian’s dreams that came true. He now could have bragging rights about his grandchild like other fathers and grandfathers did about their children . “Addy” was the apple of his eye and helped to give meaning to his life, especially during his years of illness. One of the last meaningful things Brian did on the morning of his passing, was to take “Addy” to School.
Brian was an avid Cincinnati Bengal Fan. Looking back a few months before Brian’s earthly departure, he spent four months with his mother, and his brother, Brandon Fortson Jarrett in Cincinnati, Ohio. During his stay, he was fortunate enough to be here in Cincinnati when the Cincinnati Bengals played in the AFC Championship game in Kansas City, Missouri and then the Super Bowl in Phoenix, Arizona. During the AFC Championship game, he and his sister-in-law Stephanie were dressed all in Bengal gear from head to toe, along with Bengal football snacks and house decorations; one would have thought they were present at the game. The noise level was tremendous coming from those two. He was even more excited during the Super Bowl. Another highlight of his Cincinnati visit, he and his brother, Brandon shared their first games of chess and bonded together, spending many hours of playing chess and talking.
The African Proverb saying, “It takes a village to raise a child.” is so true, because along with his direct family, he had several very special “play aunties”: Helen Chambers Winston, Sandra Davis Evans, and Myrna Badger Geiger, and others, as you can see, Brian had a village of LOVE that also contained many Preston, Buster, Perkins, Jarrett, Fortson, Rayford cousins - too numerous to name, but a special first cousin , the Late Larry George (Elly) Jarrett, II. Brian hobbies were reading his bible, reading mystery, history, airplane and science books. He collected stamps and miniature trains. Brian loved his many friends and his calico cat, named Cali, who never left his side even in death, she sat there beside him.
