John Gordon Willard

John Gordon Willard, 90, of Pflugerville, passed away Monday, September 29, 2008. Born January 17, 1918, in Tyler, Texas, he was the second of four children born to Velma and Thomas Willard. He grew up in Denton, Texas and graduated from Denton High School. He received a B.S. in Chemistry from North Texas State University and an M.S. in Chemistry from the University of Texas. John had been employed many years in the petrochemical industry and also at the Texas Department of Health. John loved life and he took pleasure in the simplest of things. He loved to ride his bike, take long walks, and mow the yard with his push mower. He loved to play tennis, pick up pecans, and sell peaches from the front yard stand. He loved to play cards, and he loved to eat Blue Bell vanilla ice cream and Oreo cookies. Most of all, he loved to spend time with his children, his family, and his friends. John was preceded in death by his sisters Helen Willard and Mary Strait. He is survived by his loving wife Marguerite, sister Frances, sons John and Gene, daughter Judy and her partner Linda, and grandchildren Mimi and Nate. Services will be held at the Round Rock Senior Center at 2:00 pm Wednesday, October 1. In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to Hospice Austin. Obituary and guestbook online at wcfish.com