John (J.B.) Gavin, 86, of Rye, passed away February 12, 2024, at Veterans Hospital in Little Rock. He was born on March 5, 1937, to the late Alma Wooldridge Gavin and Tom Gavin. He was the youngest sibling of five. He was preceded in death by his brothers, Maurice and Floyd Gavin; his sisters, Evelyn Thornton and Eva Dean Tarver; and a granddaughter, Sidney Wade.
He is survived by his daughter, Julie Wade (Steve) of Broken Arrow, Okla.; daughter Leanda Gavin (Cobi) of Fayetteville; grandchildren Kristina Reinschmidt (Adam) of Guthrie Okla.; Halle Alvey (Tommy) of Fayetteville; Logan and Elliot Wade, both of Broken Arrow, Okla.; Connor and Rowan Shelby, Evely and Arlo Gavin-Cogbill, all of Fayetteville; a great-grandson, Hank Reinschmidt of Guthrie, Okla. and a great-granddaughter, Eden Alvey of Fayetteville.
J.B. served in the U.S. Navy, and was stationed in Japan and Australia. He traveled all over the Pacific. After the Navy, he was a farmer and a very talented sheet metal worker. He enjoyed creating all kinds of things from metal, even after he retired. He loved his parents, nature, geometry, and his cattle.
A graveside service will be held at Union Cemetery in Rye on March 1, at 10 a.m. with Reverend Reneé Janski officiating.
In lieu of flowers, please consider making a donation to something he cared about: the Arkansas Sheriff’s Youth Ranch, P.O. Box 3964 Batesville, AR 72503; the Rohwer Heritage Site/Japanese-American Internment Museum, P.O. Box 1263, McGehee, Arkansas 71654; or the National Geographic Society, at give.nationalgeographic.org.
