Joe McClain

Funeral services for Joe McClain, 80, will be held on Saturday, December 13, 2014, at 10:30 A.M. at Stewart Family Funeral Home with the Reverend Bennie Portwood officiating. Interment will follow with military honors at Tyler Memorial Park Cemetery in Tyler, under the direction of Stewart Family Funeral Home. Joe passed away peacefully Saturday, December 6, at The Hospice of East Texas. He was born January 22, 1934, in Ennis, Texas, grew up in Tyler, and attended Tyler High School. After graduation, he enlisted in the United States Army. It was there that he held the position of Cryptographer, which required top secret clearance. Following the military service, Joe worked for the William Cameron & Company in Tyler and in Waco. He acquired experience in building materials manufacturing and wholesale operations, becoming one of the company’s leading salesmen in the Tyler market from 1958 to 1966. The Cameron firm became a division of Certain-teed Products Corporation headquartered in Ardmore, Pennsylvania, where Joe held the position of national sales manager. In 1972, he returned to Tyler and opened McClain Building Materials. He was a longtime member of the Tyler Area Builders Association, as well as a Life Spike member. In 1987, Joe received the award for Associate of the Year. Throughout the years, he supported all TABA activities, and many other social and civic events. Also, Joe’s family members and friends will always remember him as an avid baseball enthusiast, well-known for being an outstanding softball pitcher. Joe was preceded in death by his parents, Tom and Samie McClain; daughters, Julie and Lisa McClain; son, Bobby Jones; sisters, Margaret Clem, Nell Hedricks, and Shirley Ramsey; brother, Kenneth McClain; niece, Phyllis Hedricks and nephew, Steve Hedricks. He is survived by his wife of 42 years, Rosemary McClain; sons, Kent McClain of Killeen, Steve Jones of Kent, Connecticut, and Mark Jones of Austin; granddaughters, Elizabeth Jones of Houston and Katherine Jones of San Antonio; brother-in-law, Pete Trentacost of Houston; nieces, Janet Tippen of Katy, Leslile McLean of Troup, and nephew, Chip McClain of Whitehouse. Pallbearers will be Noley Bice, J.B. Smith, Sherm Winniford, Larry Hickman, Martin Villela, Thomas Utz, Roger Worden, Charlie Baker, Gaylon Daughtry, Bill Evers, Harold Ray, Sam Wells and Dick Higginbotham. The family wishes to give special thanks to Dr. Duane Andrews and his nurse, Debbie Carlyle, the medical staff of the 4th floor Continuing Care of Trinity Mother Frances Hospital, and the staff at The Hospice of East Texas for their exceptional care. Visitation is scheduled from 5:00 to 7:00 P. M. on Friday, December 12, 2014, at Stewart Family Funeral Home, 7525 Old Jacksonville Hwy. in Tyler. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to The Hospice of East Texas Foundation, 4111 University Blvd., Tyler, 75701, or to East Texas Food Bank, 3201 Robertson Road, Tyler, 75701.

Joe McClain

January 22, 1934 - December 6, 2014