Arthur Louis Jewett

Born June 24, 1930 in Cicero, Washington; Arthur passed away May 25, 2018 in Puyallup, WA. He was the eldest son of Eleanor and Raymond Jewett and he spent his early years growing up in the logging camps where his parents worked. Art shared those good times with the three brothers and three sisters he loved and was devoted to his family and friends.

Next the family relocated to Auburn in 1942. Art was 12 years of age when he started working after school at the Auburn Safeway in the Meat Department and this is where he developed his skills for meat-cutting and hard work.

Everything was put on hold when Art convinced his parents to allow him to enlist in the U.S. Army upon graduation with Auburn High School’s class of 1948. He entered the army on May 27, 1948 and after boot camp was stationed in the Territory of Hawaii. Art’s outfit, the 24th Division / 5th Regimental Team was deployed to Korea at the outset of the Korean conflict on July 25, 1950. His unit was known as the “Victory Division” and was the first to fight in Korea facing brutally hot summers and bitterly cold winters. Art was on the front line for 11 months. For his actions, Art received the Korean Service Medal with five Bronze Stars and also the Bronze Medal, awarded for Heroic service.

After his return to the Schofield Barracks in Hawaii he was assigned to the Quartermaster Section where he served as an instructor for the Meat-Cutting School training up to 45 students per class.

The meat business was in his blood and when he returned to the Northwest he accepted a job at Dahlgren and Massey’s in Auburn. This is where Art met and married his first wife, Lois Holm, and had two sons Christopher and Craig. He then moved to Renton to be the Meat Department Manager for the Shoppingtime. He eventually bought the store and it became Art’s Shoppingtime…his first business.

He met and married his second wife, June, in 1960. Together they raised their three girls; Sharon, Gail and Kerry. They continued to build their businesses and moved their business to the Rainier Beach neighborhood and opened, with their partner Dan Pretare, the Rainier Beach Tom Boy and Art’s Country Market. Together they also built the Rainier Beach IGA Foodliner.

In 1975 Art and June sold their share of the IGA to start a new business in Sumner; Art’s Sumner Frozen Food Lockers. They successfully built that business, sold it and settled into early retirement on Hood Canal in 1985 eventually retiring to the Fairwood area.

In 2003 Art married his third wife, Lila, who had been his high school sweetheart. They took care of each other for just shy of 15 years.

Art was a devoted family man and very loving husband, father, grandfather, brother and uncle. He loved having his family around him as everyone witnessed at Art’s annual Father’s Day Family Reunion.

Art is survived by his wife, Lila and her son Greg (Linda) Alloro; his sons, Chris (Cheryl) and Craig (Shirley) Jewett; his daughters, Sharon (Frank) Adams, Gail (Mike) Orendorff and Kerry Jewett. He is also survived by his sisters, Georgia (Jim-deceased May 26, 2018) Lewis, Shirley (Jim) Phelan, Susan (Harvey) Nordyke and his brothers, Robert (Zellah), Danny (Rolene) and Dennis (Candice) Jewett. He also leaves 8 grandchildren, 12 great-grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

Art was pre-deceased by his parents Eleanor and Raymond, his wife June as well as Lila’s son Chris.

There will be a public visitation at Greenwood Memorial Park on Wednesday, June 13, from 2:00-5:00 p.m.

On June 15th, Art’s family will gather at 12 noon to celebrate his life at a Memorial Service at Greenwood Memorial Park in Renton, Washington. This will be followed by a reception at Renton Technical College at 2pm, building H-102. In lieu of flowers Art requested that any donations be directed to the American Heart Association.