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John H. Clegg Jr.
John H. Clegg, Jr., following an extended illness, departed this life on Oct. 9, 2008.
John Henry Clegg, Jr. was born on Jan. 20, 1917, in Victoria, and was the fourth child of John Henry Clegg and Lillian Elizabeth Roselle. He attended Victoria schools and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1934 at the age of 17. He was discharged in 1938 and became employed by Bethlehem Supply Company in Alice selling oil field supplies. However, his life as a civilian was short as he was recalled to active duty in January 1941. John saw heavy action in the battle of Guadalcanal and then went to Australia where he met Elsie Joan Fishwick who was from a community called Mt. Eliza near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They married on Sept. 11, 1943. Joan, after a long wait for passage, arrived in the United States in the summer of 1944. John landed less than a week following Joan's arrival, a great finale to his Pacific war experience. He was discharged from the Marine Corps in March 1946. That ole' saying "Once a Marine - Always a Marine" is an absolute truth as related to John Clegg Jr.
After the war John and Joan returned to Victoria and, again, became a salesman for Bethlehem Supply. John was an excellent salesman and this was recognized by his brother, Roselle, who, in 1951, offered him employment in his Port Lavaca shrimp operations. John moved his family to Port Lavaca in about 1953 and eventually became a partner and officer in the company and the sales manager. Selling shrimp products and the delivery of those products is an extremely competitive business; and John developed an extremely loyal customer group based on quality product, good service, competitive price, and just being truthful. His partners, brother, Roselle, and nephew, Robert Clegg, sometimes thought their customers must think John could walk on water as related to him satisfying their needs.
He was active in the civic affairs of Port Lavaca having first served as a city councilman in the middle 1950s and next was elected mayor. Governor John Connally, in 1965, appointed him to a newly established State Legislative Commission to study water quality in the state. He is a past president of the Texas Mid-Coast Water Development Association and a past president of the Texas Shrimp Association. He has been a member of the Port Lavaca Rotary Club for more than fifty years and served as president and then secretary of the club for many years. He had been very active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization for more than fifty years and had served as a post commander and was a past district commander of the local seven county district. John was a past exalted ruler of the Victoria Elks Lodge. He took over the job of Calhoun County veterans service officer in 1963, serving until June of this year. Every organization or event John Clegg had ever been involved with had always been successful. He had a record of always being an excellent participant and leader. In recent years, a favorite trip each year was to the annual gathering of the 1st Division Association of the United States Marine Corps. Over the years, John and Joan made numerous return trips to Australia and during one of those return trips they made a side trip to Guadalcanal.
He loved being around people. He enjoyed calling bingo on Thursday nights at the VFW Hall. John had a zest for life, a beautiful singing voice, and enjoyed big band music, Willie Nelson, and Ann Murray. He was always cheerful and had a smile on his face, and most of all, he loved and was loved by his extended family.
John Henry Clegg Jr. is survived by his wife, Elsie Joan Fishwick, and two children: son, John Henry Clegg III, and wife, Judith Lynnelle Knowles Clegg; and daughter, Lillian F. Clegg and husband, Richard L. Ellison; four grandchildren, Leisha L. Dioguardi and husband, Guy, Natalie M. McLarty and husband, Travis, John "J.B." Clegg, and Kathryn "Katey" Ellison. Also surviving are eight great-grandchildren: Devon A. Dioguardi, Merryn L. Dioguardi, Cason J. Dioguardi, Corryn V. Dioguardi, Coy W. McLarty, Saige M. McLarty, Hagan L. McLarty, and Logan C. McLarty.
A visitation will be held from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Monday at the church. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Victoria with full military honors.
Pallbearers are R.E. Clegg, Sam Clegg, J.R. Clegg, J.B. Clegg, Richard Ellison, and Buzz Currier.
Honorary pallbearers are the Port Lavaca Rotary Club, Robert Pike, James Heathorne, and VFW Post 4403.
Richardson-Colonial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements, 361-552-2988.
John Henry Clegg, Jr. was born on Jan. 20, 1917, in Victoria, and was the fourth child of John Henry Clegg and Lillian Elizabeth Roselle. He attended Victoria schools and enlisted in the Marine Corps in 1934 at the age of 17. He was discharged in 1938 and became employed by Bethlehem Supply Company in Alice selling oil field supplies. However, his life as a civilian was short as he was recalled to active duty in January 1941. John saw heavy action in the battle of Guadalcanal and then went to Australia where he met Elsie Joan Fishwick who was from a community called Mt. Eliza near Melbourne, Victoria, Australia. They married on Sept. 11, 1943. Joan, after a long wait for passage, arrived in the United States in the summer of 1944. John landed less than a week following Joan's arrival, a great finale to his Pacific war experience. He was discharged from the Marine Corps in March 1946. That ole' saying "Once a Marine - Always a Marine" is an absolute truth as related to John Clegg Jr.
After the war John and Joan returned to Victoria and, again, became a salesman for Bethlehem Supply. John was an excellent salesman and this was recognized by his brother, Roselle, who, in 1951, offered him employment in his Port Lavaca shrimp operations. John moved his family to Port Lavaca in about 1953 and eventually became a partner and officer in the company and the sales manager. Selling shrimp products and the delivery of those products is an extremely competitive business; and John developed an extremely loyal customer group based on quality product, good service, competitive price, and just being truthful. His partners, brother, Roselle, and nephew, Robert Clegg, sometimes thought their customers must think John could walk on water as related to him satisfying their needs.
He was active in the civic affairs of Port Lavaca having first served as a city councilman in the middle 1950s and next was elected mayor. Governor John Connally, in 1965, appointed him to a newly established State Legislative Commission to study water quality in the state. He is a past president of the Texas Mid-Coast Water Development Association and a past president of the Texas Shrimp Association. He has been a member of the Port Lavaca Rotary Club for more than fifty years and served as president and then secretary of the club for many years. He had been very active in the Veterans of Foreign Wars organization for more than fifty years and had served as a post commander and was a past district commander of the local seven county district. John was a past exalted ruler of the Victoria Elks Lodge. He took over the job of Calhoun County veterans service officer in 1963, serving until June of this year. Every organization or event John Clegg had ever been involved with had always been successful. He had a record of always being an excellent participant and leader. In recent years, a favorite trip each year was to the annual gathering of the 1st Division Association of the United States Marine Corps. Over the years, John and Joan made numerous return trips to Australia and during one of those return trips they made a side trip to Guadalcanal.
He loved being around people. He enjoyed calling bingo on Thursday nights at the VFW Hall. John had a zest for life, a beautiful singing voice, and enjoyed big band music, Willie Nelson, and Ann Murray. He was always cheerful and had a smile on his face, and most of all, he loved and was loved by his extended family.
John Henry Clegg Jr. is survived by his wife, Elsie Joan Fishwick, and two children: son, John Henry Clegg III, and wife, Judith Lynnelle Knowles Clegg; and daughter, Lillian F. Clegg and husband, Richard L. Ellison; four grandchildren, Leisha L. Dioguardi and husband, Guy, Natalie M. McLarty and husband, Travis, John "J.B." Clegg, and Kathryn "Katey" Ellison. Also surviving are eight great-grandchildren: Devon A. Dioguardi, Merryn L. Dioguardi, Cason J. Dioguardi, Corryn V. Dioguardi, Coy W. McLarty, Saige M. McLarty, Hagan L. McLarty, and Logan C. McLarty.
A visitation will be held from 6-7 p.m. Monday, Oct. 13, 2008 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca. A rosary will be recited at 7 p.m. Monday at the church. Funeral Mass will be at 10 a.m. Tuesday, Oct. 14, 2008 at Our Lady of the Gulf Catholic Church in Port Lavaca. Interment will follow at Memorial Park Cemetery in Victoria with full military honors.
Pallbearers are R.E. Clegg, Sam Clegg, J.R. Clegg, J.B. Clegg, Richard Ellison, and Buzz Currier.
Honorary pallbearers are the Port Lavaca Rotary Club, Robert Pike, James Heathorne, and VFW Post 4403.
Richardson-Colonial Funeral Home in charge of arrangements, 361-552-2988.
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| Diane Lynn Prince | Sarah Castillio Hinojosa |
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