Willard Penry PUFFETT

PUFFETT, FRAKES, SARCHETT, MCNEIL, BIRCH

Posted By: Sarah Thorson Little (email)
Date: 1/19/2015 at 16:28:38

May 30, 1922 ---- May 14, 2010

Willard Penry Puffett was born in Norwich, NY to Clifford and Elizabeth Puffett, the last of 5 children. He spent his childhood in Iowa, living with his aunt and uncle, Maude and Ted Frakes, for five years until he entered high school in Ames, Iowa. After high school he worked for his brother, Wayne, until enlisting in the Navy for WWII duty. A beneficiary of the GI bill, he graduated from Iowa State University in 1950 with a BS in Geology.

Willard worked for the US Geological Survey for over 30 years in Washington State, New Mexico, Utah, Colorado, California, Kentucky, Upper Michigan and Saudi Arabia. He published a paper about his work in Michigan, "Geology of the Negaunee Quadrangle, Marquette County, Michigan" in 1974. He married twice: Letty Sarchet in 1948 and, after her death, Bettijeanne McNeil Birch in 1972.

After retiring, Willard and Bettijeanne settled in Mount Vernon in 1983. He was an active retiree, delivering meals on wheels for over 20 years, gardening, playing bridge and ushering at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church.. Willard and Bettijeanne traveled extensively, visiting New Zealand, Australia, England, Scotland, the Mediterranean, China, Korea, Thailand, New England and Alaska. Willard was well known by family and friends for his quick wit and quirky humor and he liked nothing better than a challenging political conversation. His interest in reading in his chosen field of geology continued throughout his life and he enjoyed sharing his knowledge about the local area.

Willard is preceded in death by two brothers, Wayne and Earl, two sisters, Vera and Yvonne, both wives and his son, Craig. Survivors include daughter Nancy; son Jeffery; granddaughters, Corey and Emily; and several nieces and nephews.

Services will be held at the Mount Vernon United Methodist Church on Saturday, May 22 at 1:30 pm. Arrangements are under the care of Hawthorne Funeral Home, Mount Vernon.

Skagit Valley Herald -- Mount Vernon, Washington
May 19, 2010