JACKY WAYNE BACON
11/05/1939 - 02/18/2023
Jack was born in Lewisville, Texas to Ollie T. and Sylvia Chastain Bacon on November 5, 1939, the middle of three sons. He attended school in Gainesville through high school, and attended night classes through two years of college. He had a lot of friends in high school, and they clearly had some wonderful fun-loving years toogether. Shortly after graduating from high school, he and his good friend, Joe Bayer, joined the Marines and were sent to boot camp at Camp Lejuene, SC together. He was a very proud Marine and served for about eight years. Then he went to work for Southwestern Bell and spent all his working years with the telephone companies. He worked for Southwestern Bell, Western Electric, Bell Telephone and he was given early retirement from AT&T at age 52. He was very proud to have had a Gainesville paper route for 5 or 6 years when he was young, which meant he always had money.
Jack’s father passed away at age 42 from a heart attack when Jack was 16, and that event was a major crisis for the family. For Jack, the loss of his beloved father, became an absolutely defining event. He was a very determined person. About 1980 he was determined enough to give up drinking, and in about 2000 he was strong enough to stop smoking, both of which seem like small miracles. He was a member of Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church in Houston.
Jack’s only daughter, Shawna Lynne Reed, passed away in November 2022. She left Jack’s three grandsons and seven great-grand children.
Jack was major reader, but was especially interested in World War II and all things military. He liked to piddle with arts and crafts. He enjoyed travel. He was a good, kind, loving, honest, funny person.
About two years ago, Jack was diagnosed with Parkinson’s Disease. Last June and July he had the two Parkinson’s deep brain surgeries, but began falling 5 or 10 times a day. Life was no longer good, and after spending over a month in the hospital, he passed from the complications of Parkinsons at 83.
He leaves behind his brother Jerry Bacon of South Lake, Texas, and his three grandsons and their families: Jeremy and Brook Reed of Sedgwick, Kansas, and children Peyton, Jaymon and Rylan, Cole and Lauren Reed of Marietta, OK and children Avery and Ryder, and Kyle and Ashton Reed of Marietta, OK and children Whitley and Wyatt. He also leaves his mate of more than 30 years together, Patricia Dunne Griffin of Houston.
Church services for Jack will be held in Gainesville, Texas on Saturday, February 25, 2023 at 10 am at the Westminster Presbyterian Church, 315 East Scott Street, Gainesville, Texas with Pastor Darrell Mc?? officiating. Burial will follow at the Fairview Cemetery, 710 Fair Avenue, Gainesville. Attendees are invited back to the church after burial. Visitation will be Friday, February 24 from 6 to 7:30 pm at the George J. Carroll & Son Funeral Home, 602 South Lindsay Street, Gainesville, TX.