John Twist's Obituary
John Francis Twist, Jr., 90, of Memphis died peacefully on Sunday at home. He was the son of John F. (“Frank”) and Claribel (Bond) Twist. He grew up in Twist, AR and graduated from Earle High School at age 16. At Dartmouth College, he majored in English Literature and during his senior year, won the first prize in the Eleanor Frost Play Contest. He credited his inspirational high school English teacher, Mamie Watson, for his lifelong passion for literature, poetry, and writing. After graduating in 1941, he enlisted in the Air Corps and was assigned to the 90th Heavy Bomb Group in the Fifth Air Force. He spent 37 months in the Pacific during WWII. In 1944, he married First Lt. Pat Thompson, an Air Corps flying nurse in Sydney, Australia. He was discharged with the rank of Major in 1945. His father had died during the war and as the eldest of five, John settled in Twist to manage and expand the family’s plantation. He and his brother, Rex, shared a passion for flying, and enjoyed many years of farming together in AR, MS, and Guatemala along with their sisters Marilee, Julia, and Helen. They enjoyed their family home on Eden Isle near Heber Springs for many years. John was a member of the Earle Rotary Club, served two terms on the Board of Governors for Crittenden Memorial Hospital and also served on the Executive Committee of the Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital Board. He was an active member of the Eastern Arkansas Planning and Development Commission and a member of the Board of Directors of the Rivermont Club. He was described in 1960 as a “young, progressive farmer” for his pioneering efforts in land leveling and irrigation and was named Crittenden County’s topsoil conservationist that year. He was a People to People International Ambassador and traveled to Russia with other farming experts. In 1968, he participated in the Brookings Institution Mid-South Urban Policy Conference, and served on their American City Seminar in 1969. From 1979 to 1980, he was an Arkansas delegate to the Constitutional Convention and helped draft a new Constitution for the state. Always an avid reader, John was a member of Great Books. He was a patron of the arts and a lover of music, particularly opera and jazz. He was a keen tennis player for more than 70 years. He travelled extensively, and was a devoted family man, always ready with an affectionate tease and a warm smile. He loved his country and remained proud of and dedicated to its high ideals. He is predeceased by his son, John F. Twist, III, and his devoted wife of 46 years, Pat. He is survived by his loving wife of 19 years, Jane McSpadden Genette Twist, his daughters Nancy Twist Sienknecht of Chattanooga, Jenny Twist Smith (Graham) of Memphis, his stepchildren Sidney Genette, II of Seattle, Jane Slatery (Charles) of Memphis, Lucy McDougall (Daniel) of Benton, AR, and Madeline Genette of Memphis. He is also survived by his sister, Helen Twist Thomas (John) of Memphis, sister-in-law Martha Ree Twist Nimocks (Al) of Memphis, and his brother-in-law Larry McSpadden (Helen) of Gastonia, NC. He has 11 grandchildren and one great-grandchild. The visitation with be on Thursday at 10 a.m. in the Great Hall at Calvary Episcopal Church, followed by a service at 11 a.m.. Family requests memorials be sent to the Methodist Healthcare Hospice (6400 Shelby View Dr. Ste. 101 Memphis 38134), Church Health Center (P.O. Box 41527 Memphis 38174), Calvary Episcopal Church (102 N. Second Street Memphis 38103), or to the donor’s choice. Memorial Park Funeral Home, “Behind the stone wall”, 901-767-8930. Condolences may be offered at www.MemorialParkOnline.com
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