Col. Jack F. Riggins (Ret)

Col. Jack F. Riggins (Ret.), 90, of Jonesboro, Arkansas went to be with his Lord on Thursday, July 24, 2008. He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Mary Sue Allen Riggins, daughter Suzanne Haug and her husband Helmuth of Kansas City, Missouri, and son John Riggins and his wife Nadalyn of Little Rock, Arkansas. He is also survived by his sisters Claudine Morgan of Dallas, Texas, and Francille Seymour of Hope, Arkansas, and brother William S. Riggins of Hot Springs, Arkansas.
Jack was the epitome of Tom Brokaw’s Greatest Generation. Born in Buckner, Arkansas on January 20, 1918, Jack graduated from Henderson State Teachers College in 1941 and received a commission as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. Upon graduation he also married his sweetheart, Mary Sue Allen of Arkadelphia, Arkansas. At the outset of World War II, he volunteered as a paratrooper in the famed 101st Airborne Division, and jumped behind enemy lines the morning of D-Day. Jack went on to fight in the Battle of the Bulge and ultimately helped liberate a concentration camp in Germany at the end of the war.
Jack continued serving his country, with a career spanning 33 years, including tours of duty in the Korean Conflict and the Viet Nam War and assignments to the Pentagon and the National War College. His decorations include the Army Commendation Medal, four Bronze Stars, the Purple Heart, and the Silver Star, America’s third highest award for valor.
Jack’s greatest accomplishment, and his greatest joy, however, was his family. He was “Daddy Jack” to his four grandchildren, Stephanie, Kimberly, Melissa, and John Allen. He loved fishing and spending time with his sisters and their husbands and his brother. He especially enjoyed playing practical jokes on his brothers-in-law and his grandchildren, earning him the nickname “rascal.”
Jack’s service to others and his love of laughter drew people to him. His was a life well lived.
Graveside services with military honors will be held at 10:00 a.m. Monday, July 28, 2008 at the Rose Hill Cemetery in Arkadelphia, Arkansas. Reverend Stan Parris will officiate. Memorials can be made to the American Heart Association or to your favorite charity. Emerson Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. To sign an online registry, go to www.emersonfuneralhome.com.