Carlos DeJarnette, of Bowling Green by way of Owensboro, KY, son of the late Mildred Louise (Lambert) DeJarnette and Myrvin DeJarnette, passed away peacefully on Monday 3/2/2026 surrounded by many of his loved ones at the Medical Center at Bowling Green from complications of COPD. He was also preceded in death by his sister, Marsha Kay Morehead.

Carlos lived his life unapologetically on his own terms. He felt strongly he was born in the wrong century and fancied himself a real-life cowboy. As a child, Carlos was a member of Forest Park Baptist Church in Bowling Green. He graduated from Bowling Green High School in 1966 and briefly married his high school sweetheart. As a young man, he was later drafted into the United States Army from June 1968 to October 1969, during a tense and dangerous period on the Korean peninsula during the Vietnam War. Assigned to the Eighth Army with HHC, 1st Battalion, 17th Infantry, he worked as an Armor and Intelligence Specialist (11D40), a role requiring advanced reconnaissance skills and steady nerves. He completed the highly selective and physically demanding Recondo course at Fort Knox and rose to the rank of Sergeant (E‑5). His service earned him the National Defense Service Medal, the Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, and multiple weapons qualifications. His children remain proud of his service and the courage he showed during a critical moment in Cold War history.

Following his military service, Carlos returned home, remarried his high school sweetheart one more time and started a family. Though his relationships were sometimes tumultuous, he was a man of routine and simplicity. He loved early mornings and watching the sun rise, often with a cup of black coffee in hand—something he drank all day long. He thoroughly enjoyed a good steak, riding horses, smoking Marlboro cigarettes, and drinking ice‑cold beer after a hard day working in the sun. He rarely spoke, kept to himself, and valued his privacy. For more than 40 years, he worked in construction as an excavator, a job that suited his independence and his preference for working with his hands.

He is survived by his former wife, Patty; his children, Ashley (Bridget), Jason, and Linze; his four grandsons, Alex (Emma) Dunkle, and Ben Dunkle, Tucker DeJarnette, and Jake DeJarnette; and his first great‑granddaughter, Scarlett Dunkle. He also leaves behind his brother, Mitchell (Gina) DeJarnette; his nieces, Denise and Jenny; his nephews, Tracey and Jeff; and their children. As well as his aunt, Iris Faye of Hawesville, KY.

Carlos may be remembered in different ways by those who knew him and he will be missed. In lieu of flowers, expressions of sympathy can be provided through donations to the following charities: Children’s Advocacy Centers of Kentucky https://cackentucky.org/donate/ or K9s for Warriors https://donate.k9sforwarriors.org/

A brief service will be held at Cone Funeral Home in Bowling Green, KY on Friday 3/06/2026 with visitation from 9:30am-12pm and funeral services to immediately follow at 12 noon. A private graveside memorial will be held with family and close friends. He will be interred near his father and sister in Hawesville, KY.