A.J. was born in Orleans Parish, Louisiana on January 2, 1927. As a child he moved several times due to his father’s employment as a Paper Mill Manager, which included stents in New Orleans, Louisiana, Rapid Falls, Minnesota and Orange, Texas.
A.J. served honorably in the United States Army (the 52nd Signal Battalion – Philippines) during World War 2 as a radio repairman.
After the war, A.J. finished his education at Texas A&M University receiving a degree in Chemical Engineering. A.J. must have caught the paper mill bug from his father because his first job out of school was at Champion Paper in Pasadena, Texas, which later became Simpson Paper.
A.J. was appreciated by all who knew him as being able to fix anything from roofing the house, to electrical work, as well as maintaining and repairing cars and motorcycles. A.J. owned several motorcycles including an Indian, which he once rode across the U.S.A. in his younger days after the war. Later, as a family man, A.J. was known to drive a VW van that the family nicknamed “Orangee.”
A.J.’s favorite past times were morse code, communicating with fellow hobbyists around the world, building and operating computers in the early 80s using parts from Radio Shack.
A.J. was an inventor and held several patents while working at Champion Paper for monitoring pollution on smoke stacks.
A.J. is survived by his wife Claire Underwood Navarre, and children, eldest daughter Jessica Claire O'Sullivan and husband John Patrick O'Sullivan of Cheltenham, England and youngest daughter Mary Leonora Compton and husband Scott David Compton of Houston, Texas.
A wake will be held at the Earthman Funeral Home, Bellaire, Texas on Thursday, April 20th from 5 – 7 pm, starting with a rosary at 5 p.m. A celebration of life will be held at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church in Our Lady of Lourdes Chapel on Friday, April 21 at 10:00 a.m. with Msgr. Bill Young presiding. Burial will take place a Forest Park Lawndale at 1pm.
Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.earthmanbellaire.com for the Navarre family.
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