Fort Worth, TX: Marlin Patton Jeffries, passed away on Saturday, September 10, 2022, after a valiant battle with Glioblastoma. Originally known affectionately as “Pat” by his friends and family, he was born on June 5, 1951, at Reid Hospital in Bethany, Missouri. Pat was the first of three sons born to Emmett and June Jeffries, all of whom would grow up on the family farm located two miles west of McFall, Missouri as the fourth generation working the land. As a youth, Pat enjoyed riding his pony, “Ribbon,” in the Pattonsburg Saddle Club, and hunting with the family beagle, “Ginger.” Pat, like each of his brothers, was baptized on a Palm Sunday, in his case, March 19, of 1967.
Pat graduated from Pattonsburg R-II High School in Pattonsburg, Missouri in 1969. Pat then attended the University of Missouri in Columbia where he graduated in 1974 after having completed an Agronomy Major and Chemistry minor. Pat would begin going by his given name, Marlin, during college. As Marlin, he spent one year as a Vocational Agriculture teacher in Graham, Missouri where he coached his Farm Management team to highest rankings at the State FFA competition. Marlin then returned to MU to further his education by earning a Masters of Science in Agricultural Economics in 1977 and a Masters of Business Administration with a Finance Concentration in 1979. Pat moved south in 1979, becoming a true Texan who loved the city of Fort Worth and its surrounding area. Marlin’s first two years in Texas were spent working as a financial analyst for the Burroughs Corporation in Dallas. From there he moved on to General Dynamics in Fort Worth for a decade, becoming a senior financial analyst. Upon leaving GD, Marlin attended the University of Texas in Arlington, where he completed 24 of his 30 hours in Accounting. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1998. Marlin spent the next 23 years working as an auditor for Tarrant County in Fort Worth, until he retired at age 70. Marlin was an active member of the Lion’s Club, Loyal Order of Moose, and the Alpha-Tau-Alpha Honor Society. Being a universal blood donor, Type O-, he faithfully donated more than five gallons of blood over his lifetime to help his community.
Pat was preceded in death by his parents, Emmett and June (Patton) Jeffries of McFall, Missouri, and his brother, Ron Jeffries, also of McFall, Missouri.
Pat is survived by his brother and sisters-in-laws, Randy and Darlene Jeffries, and Pamela Jeffries, all of McFall. His visits home to Missouri were greatly anticipated by his nieces and nephews, and he tried to never miss a holiday or special occasion. As the beloved “Uncle Pat,” he spent a great deal of time teaching each of them how to shoot, fix a fence line, ride a pony, bake his favorite oatmeal cookies and famous apple pie from scratch, and just engaging in general orneriness and pandemonium with them. They are: Tuanette (Josh) Hulet of Pattonsburg, Missouri; Caleb (Malinda) Jeffries, of Smithville, Missouri; Josh Jeffries of McFall, Missouri; and Jennifer (Blake) Parker of Denton, Texas. Great-nieces and nephews were taught much of the same and include: Taran Fordyce, Ryelin Hulet, and Alanna Hulet all of Pattonsburg, Missouri; Darby Jeffries of Smithville, Missouri; and Rebekah Parker of Denton, Texas. Marlin P. Jeffries, a long-time member of The First United Methodist Church of Fort Worth, will be laid to rest at his church’s columbarium. Funeral Services will be held at 9:30 am on Saturday, September 17, 2022 at Greenwood Funeral Home on White Settlement Road, in Fort Worth, Texas. The family will receive visitors prior to the service, beginning at 8:00 am that morning. Memorial contributions may be made in his honor to the Glioblastoma Foundation.