Christopher Lee "Kip" Jarrett

Christopher Lee "Kip" Jarrett was a beautiful riddle. He had both a brassy wit and an intellectual disability. He flashed an impish grin but would not meet your eyes. He had an insatiable appetite for new toys and a complete disinterest in ever gifting one. On July 20th, 2020, our Kip died at the age of 69 after a long and valiant fight with the novel coronavirus. Our family is forever grateful for the time we had with him. Kip (or "Kippy Honey" as he was known to his family) grew up in Bluefield, West Virginia, the middle child of five. The son of the late Judge Howard Marshall Jarrett and the late Doris Franquiz Jarrett, he had a special place in the Washington Street neighborhood. Always included by his siblings and their friends who came to play, no one looked at Kip and saw the things he could not do, instead they looked at him and saw inspiration. Kip taught them tolerance, acceptance, and to meet him where he was. Occasionally, he would teach his little sisters the exotic - like the joy of eating a flower or the seriousness with which chewing gum was to be avoided. In 1992, Kip relocated with his mother to Bethesda, Maryland to be closer to family. He loved everything the metropolitan life had to offer him: international cuisine, live music, hobby stores aplenty. Later, he became a resident of the Jewish Foundation for Group Homes (JFGH) and a member of Seeking Equality, Empowerment and Community for People with Developmental Disabilities (SEEC). These organizations gave him support, camaraderie, greater independence in his living environment, and community participation. Kippy loved James Taylor and Bob Marley, Yogi Bear, and the Charmin Bears. He loved the rind as much as the pulp. He loved seafood (and despite his WV roots, could convert a broiled New England lobster into an empty plastic shell) and game meat (the more exotic, the better). He loved parties, Christmas, fat cats, wagons, reptiles, cartoons, cartoon villains, and pinching coveted toys from his nieces and nephews (with aplomb!). Kip is preceded in death by his parents and his nephew Adam Marshall Jarrett. He is survived by his siblings H. Marshall Jarrett (Bunny) of Falls Church, VA; Dr. Keith Jarrett (Meg) of Gloucester, MA; Beth Jarrett (Achille Tedesco) of Potomac, MD; and Cathy Jarrett (Jay Amerson) of Greensboro, NC. Left to remember him are his nieces and nephews: Josh Jarrett, Treeve Currie, Caitlin Currie, Anthony Tedesco, Dr. Zachary Lampert, Beth Grey Lampert, Kelsey Jarrett, Ben Jarrett & Jay Jarrett, as well as seven great nephews and a great niece. The family would like to thank the MICU Blue Team at Johns Hopkins for the excellent care and compassion they showed Kip the two months he was in their care. We are forever grateful to the staff at the JFGH for the emotional support they provided in-person to Kip during his illness. We would also like to thank the health care workers and medical teams at the different hospitals and medical centers who worked to save Kip's life these last three and a half months. They were patient and kind to Kip and, also, our family. Due to the current crisis, we will have a private graveside interment and plan to hold a celebration of Kip's life next year, on July 20, 2021, in his hometown of Bluefield, West Virginia. To honor Kip's life, donations can be made in his name to JFGH (ww.jfgh.org) or SEEC (www.seeconline.org).

Christopher Lee "Kip" Jarrett

December 30, 1950 - July 20, 2020