John Andrew Deskin Jr. died Tuesday, Sept. 18, 2007 at Thomas Hospital in Fairhope.
He was born Dec. 16, 1926 in Kerens, Texas to John Andrew Sr. and Mildred Colvin Deskin. It was a small country town and in 1942 he joined the Navy and served honorably in World War II. Among his duties were clearing mines from harbors in the Pacific Far East.
After the war, he earned his electrical engineering degree from SMU and married Lola Mae Nash, mother of his four children. He joined Collins Radio, where he worked for 32 years as a field engineer installing microwave stations in 46 of the 50 United States, Australia, the Canary Islands, Chile, Indonesia and Iran as well as for several of the Apollo missions.
He enjoyed the outdoors. He hunted, fished and raised animals in his early years and picked up golf along the way. In later years, golf was his passion, and he hated missing a round for weather, course maintenance or, in later years, doctors’ appointments.
The hint of a golf outing in Texas and he’d drop everything in Alabama and drive 12 hours to Dallas to play with friends and family. One tournament in particular was a “must” in his calendar, the Crume Wide Open. In honor of his passing, the tournament winner gets his name put on the “John Deskin Cup.”
He gave himself and his time to many. He was a founding charter member of the Plano-Richardson Elks Lodge #2485. As a life member of the Richardson Veterans of Foreign Wars Post #8627, he seldom missed an opportunity to visit friends there. He was also a 32nd Degree Mason of the Scottish Rite and a Shriner.
He had a smile, handshake and joke for everyone he met, and made friends easily around the globe during his 80 years.
He was preceded in death by a son, John Andrew Deskin III; a brother, Gary Deskin; sisters, Beth Thompson, Jackie Edwards and Fern Lewis; and step-daughter, Vicki Vines.
Survivors include his beloved wife, Julie A. Johnson Deskin of Foley; two sons, Roy Nash and William Jeff; a daughter, Sherrie Lynn; daughters-in-law, Sunilynn Gray and Mynette Katz; grandchildren, Lindsey Elain (Timothy) Ferguson, Andrew “Drew-Bob” Nash, Joshua Andrew, Nicholas Jordan and Joseph Anthony; step-children, Dr. Robert and Kelly McGinley of Mobile; Scott and Katherine “Kit” Aleander of Orange Beach; step-grandchildren, Dallas Jones and Sydney Alexander.
Visitation will begin at 5 p.m. with funeral services at 6 p.m. Thursday, Sept. 20 from the chapel of Pine Rest Funeral Home. A memorial service will also follow services at Meadow Run Club House, Meadow Run Loop, Foley.
Visitation will also be held from 6 to 8 p.m. Saturday, Sept. 21 at Restland Funeral Home in Dallas. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Saturday, Sept. 22 at Restland’s Wildwood Chapel. Graveside services and interment will follow at the Prairie Point Cemetery in Bazette, Navarro County, Texas.
The family requests memorial donations be made to Shriners Hospital for Children, 3100 Samford Ave., Shreveport, LA 71103, (318) 222-5704.
Out of town arrangements are by Restland Funeral Home, Dallas, Texas. Local arrangements are by Pine Rest Funeral Home Inc., Foley.
