Jack E. Jarrard, a retired Deseret News writer, photographer and editor, died Sunday, March 25, 2001, at age 84.

Mr. Jarrard was born in Garfield, Salt Lake County, and attended Salt Lake public schools and the University of Utah. He began his journalism career as a copy clerk for the Salt Lake Telegram, then worked as a staff photographer and writer before going to the Idaho Statesman in Boise.

Mr. Jarrard served in the U.S. Army during World War II.

In 1948, he began his 37-year career at the Deseret News, working on the wire and city desks before becoming business editor. He earned a national award from home builders for his coverage and special newspaper section on the industry.

Mr. Jarrard reported many important news stories during the late 1950s and early 1960s, including the uranium boom in southeastern Utah.

After a short stint at the Deseret News press as a sales representative, he returned to writing and photography. He became a member of the Church News staff and in 1968 became Church News editor.

For a decade, he traveled the globe with leaders of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, covering important events of the day. His photographs and articles documented the growth of the church.

In 1977, a stroke forced him to change assignments and he joined the wire and copy desk as a copy editor, where he worked until his retirement in 1981. In a summary that he provided in 1979, he noted that three weeks before his stroke, a "mule with me on back went over edge of Grand Canyon — fortunately, got her belly caught on edge so didn't complete the trip."

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Upon his retirement, the Deseret News' in-house newsletter, "Write On," noted Mr. Jarrard's sharp sense of humor. After he fought his way back from his stroke, he worked on the copy desk writing bright headlines. The newsletter added some of these heads were "so great that we couldn't run them."

During his retirement reception, he left Deseret News reporters and editors with this advice about accuracy: "It's better to miss a story than to get it wrong."

Mr. Jarrard served in various positions for the church, including working in the Utah State Prison church program for 3 1/2 years.

Mr. Jarrard is survived by his wife, Edna, and their five children, 20 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. A viewing will be Wednesday at the Holbrook Mortuary Chapel, 3251 S. 2300 East. Funeral will be at 2 p.m. Thursday in the Butler West Stake Center, 1845 E. 7200 South.

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