Dwight D Jarboe

Dwight David Jarboe, 77, of Coshocton, Ohio, “slipped the surly bonds of earth” Thursday, June 18, 2026, at the Arthur G. James Cancer Hospital in Columbus, Ohio.

Dwight was born October 6, 1948, in Hardinsburg, Ky, to Brown and Kathryn Schulert Jarboe. The second eldest of six siblings, Dwight’s love of God and courage in the face of hard work was deeply shaped by his childhood farming in rural Breckenridge Co., Kentucky.

After graduating high school, he attended LeTourneau University, where he obtained his pilot license and A&P mechanic certificate.

Burdened by the desire to do work with eternal value, Dwight joined Wycliffe Bible Translators as aircraft mechanic for the DC-3, which was the supply line for translators working abroad.

In 1974 he married Rena Sue Tarter—herself the daughter of missionaries—and upon completing Jungle Training Camp in Mexico and language school in Costa Rica the pair moved in 1976 to Cochabamba, Bolivia, where Dwight served with the Summer Institute of Linguistics for the next five years.

In 1982 he and his family traded the Andes Mountains of South America for the hills of Coshocton, Ohio. There he began work as staff for Missionary Maintenance Services (MMS) Aviation before becoming president and CEO in 1983—a role in which he served faithfully for 33 years before handing over leadership in 2016.

Even after retiring, Dwight continued to help maintain several locally-owned aircraft, and in 2018 was awarded the Charles Taylor Master Mechanic Award by the FAA for 50 years’ service as aircraft mechanic.

In his 44 years in Coshocton, Dwight served as member of the MMS Aviation Board, the Coshocton Airport Authority Board, and the Coshocton Co. Antique Power Association—a membership he enjoyed with his grandfather’s 1941 John Deere tractor. He was member of the Mission Safety International Board in Nashville, TN, conducted values-driven government workshops for various Christian organizations, and acted as president of the Keene Elementary School PTO. He also served as elder, Sunday School teacher, church board member, and treasurer at Fresno Bible Church.

Dwight deeply loved both flying and fixing the airplanes he worked with, but it was his love for the Lord that fueled his dedication all he put his heart and hands to—and his dedication to all who crossed his path. Soft-spoken and gentle, warm and friendly, Dwight never met a stranger nor missed an opportunity to teach or to tell a story. He could often be seen driving around town in the little black ‘41 Ford pickup that he had built himself; he referred to it as “a hypocrite” as the truck had a Ford body but a Datsun chassis—different on the outside than the inside. The same could not be said for Dwight himself. He loved music and playing the trumpet; he loved to cook and to make authentic chai for his wife. He dearly loved and was loved in return by his wife, children and grandchildren, siblings and cousins, nieces and nephews, colleagues and friends.

Dwight is preceded in death by: his parents, Brown and Kathryn Jarboe; his sister, Patricia Jarboe; his beloved sister-in-law, Paula Jarboe.

He is survived by: his loving wife of 51 years, Rena Tarter Jarboe; his daughter, Jen (Jason) Robinson; his son, Scott (Stephanie) Jarboe; his granddaughters, Chanelle (Chris) Espinoza and Kiara Jarboe; his grandson, Javin Robinson; his brothers, Marvin Jarboe, Eric (Susan) Jarboe, and Frank (Carol) Jarboe; his sister, Pamela Jarboe.

Friends may call at The Miller Funeral Home, 639 Main St., Coshocton on Friday June 26, 2026 from 4:00 PM – 7:00 PM.

Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m. Saturday, June 27, 2026, at Richard Downing Airport, MMS Aviation Hangar, Coshocton with Pastor Chris Cutshall officiating.

Burial will follow in Canal Lewisville Cemetery.

Memorial contributions may be directed to MMS Aviation, 24387 Airport Rd., Coshocton, Ohio 43812 and/or Fresno Bible Church, 24629 SR 93, Fresno, Ohio 43824; envelopes will be available at the funeral home.