JARE MAX PEARIGEN

AAFA #0259

1934 TN –2000 VA

Jare Max Pearigen, Captain, U.S. Navy

Jare and his wife Vesta at AAFA’s Annual Meeting in Richmond, VA, 1994

WASHINGTON POST

Washington, DC—Sunday, 18 June 2000

Navy Captain Jare Pearigen Dies At 65

            Jare Max Pearigen, 65, a retired Navy captain whose career had included tours as a pilot who had taken part in astronaut recoveries and who had served on missions in Antarctica, died of cancer June 15 at his home in Burke.

            Capt. Pearigen, a native of Nashville, attended Middle Tennessee State University before entering the Navy as an aviation cadet in 1956. The next year, he received his wings and his commission.

            This was followed by service afloat with helicopter squadrons. He did antisubmarine work as well as participate in four Gemini missions, serving as Pilot of the primary recovery helicopter on Gemini VI and IX. Then, by the late 1960s, his record had included three tours in the Antarctic with Operation Deep Freeze.

            In the 1970s and ’80s, his assignments included command of a helicopter antisubmarine squadron and of the Navy Support Force in Antarctica. His last assignment, before retiring from active duty in 1987, was in Washington with the office of the assistant secretary of the Navy for research, engineering and systems. In that post, he worked with the National Science Foundation on liaison between civilian and military elements in the Antarctic research program,

            A peak in Antarctica’s Admiralty Mountains has been named in Capt. Pearigen’s honor.

            Survivors include his wife of 41 years, Vesta McMillan Pearigen of Burke; a son, Scott, of Los Angeles; a daughter, Nancy Pearigen Burns of Centreville; and a brother.

In another article:

THE TENNESSEAN

Nashville, Davidson Co., TN—Sunday, 18 June 2000

BURKE, VA—Pearigen, Jare Max-On June 15, 2000, at home in Burke, VA Native of Nashville; beloved husband of Vesta McMillan Pearigen; loving father of Scott D. Pearigen and Nancy Pearigen Burns; son of the late James Roy and Jessie Novelle Reed Pearigen, Sr.; brother of the late James Roy Pearigen, Jr. In addition to his wife and children, survivors include his brother and two sisters-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Coy Pearigen and Mrs. Dorothy Pearigen, all of Nashville; his son-in-law, Mr. Gilbert Joseph Burns II of Centreville, VA and many other relatives.

            Mr. Pearigen was a 31-year veteran of the U.S. Navy, retiring in 1987 with the rank of Captain.

            Memorial service at 7:00p.m. on June 22 at Glendale Baptist Church, 1021 Glendale Lane, Nashville, TN 37204. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery at 1:00 p.m. on July 5, 2000. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Kidney Cancer Association (1234 Sherman Avenue, Suite 203, Evanston, IL 60202-1375).

In another article:

GREEN HILL NEWS

Nashville, Davidson Co., TN—Thursday, 22 June 2000

Former Nashvillian and Retired Captain Dies of Cancer

            Jare Max Pearigen, a native of Nashville and retired U.S. Navy Captain, died of cancer June 15,2000, at his home in Burke, Virginia. He was 65.

            Mr. Pearigen attended West End High School and Middle Tennessee State University before entering the Navy as a Naval Aviation Cadet in 1956. He received his commission and wings in 1957.

            His naval career spanned 31 years, and included assignments to helicopter squadrons on the east and west coasts, deployments aboard numerous ships including the USS Valley Forge, USS Randolph, USS Wasp and USS Kitty Hawk, a tour as Aircraft Accident Investigator with the Naval Safety Center and staff positions with Commander Third Fleet and Commander Anti-Submarine Warfare Wing, U.S. Pacific Fleet.

            During the mid 1960s, while serving as the AntiSubmarine Warfare Officer and Flight Officer for Helicopter Anti-Submarine Squadron (HS) 11, he participated in four Gemini space missions, as pilot of the primary recovery helicopter on Gemini VI and IX.

            His final post before retiring in 1987 was with the Office of the Assistant Secretary of the Navy where, through his assignment to the National Science Foundation, he served as liaison between naval and civilian components of the U.S. Antarctic Research Program. A peak in Antarctica’s Admiralty Mountains is named for him.

            He is preceded in death by his parents, James Roy Pearigen, Sr. and Jessie Novelle Reed Pearigen, and a brother, James Roy Pearigen, Jr.

            Survived by his wife of nearly 42 years, Vesta McMillan Pearigen; son Scott Pearigen of Los Angeles; daughter and son-in-law, Nancy Pearigen Burns and Gilbert J. Burns II of Centreville, VA, a brother and two sisters-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Gene Coy Pearigen and Mrs. Dorothy Pearigen, all of Nashville.

            A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. on June 22 at Glendale Baptist Church, 1021 Glendale Lane, Nashville. Burial at Arlington National Cemetery at 1 p.m. on July 5, 2000.

Photo from Arlington National Cemetery, Arlington, Arlington Co., VA—www.findagrave.com

Permission granted by the photographer, Anne Cady

AAFA NOTES: SSDI records show that Jare M. Pearigen (SS# issued in TN) was born 14 Dec 1934, last residence Burke, Fairfax Co., VA.

            From Gil Alford: Jare and Vesta joined AAFA as charter members in November, 1989. He had been involved in genealogy for some time, and he immediately became involved in the Associations effort to collect, record and promulgate our family history data. He provided GEDCOM files of his data and agreed to manage the AAFA computer file on the descendants of his William Alford. He was one of the members assisting with keying data into the computer files for the Master Book List. Like some others before him, he worked at this even while suffering his dread disease.

            His Alford lineage, from his paternal grandmother: Elizabeth Sanders 1850 TN¹, Thomas Jefferson 1825 TN², William 1780 VA³.