John McCormick Witherspoon

John McCormick Witherspoon, beloved husband, brother, father and grandfather, passed away suddenly on Thursday, April 11. He is survived by his wife of 39 years, Pat, and his two sons, Terence Dennis, and wife Jenniffer DeAnn, and Lawrence Andrew, and wife Alejandra Nicole, and his grand-daughters, Sovay Raylee Witherspoon and Amelia Lucia Witherspoon. He is also survived by his brothers, Joseph P. Witherspoon and wife Ann, Thomas Morgan Witherspoon, and James Stuart Witherspoon, and his sister-in-law, Carolyn Dennis Willingham and husband, John. He was the proud uncle of Tim Knobloch, Charles Knobloch, Kelly Witherspoon Zabcik, Adam Witherspoon, Alethea Witherspoon Anthony, Russell Dennis Willingham, and Jonica Lynn Willingham.

John was born on October 11, 1950 in Austin, Texas, the son of Dr. Joseph P. Witherspoon, Jr. and Catherine Leavy Witherspoon. They preceded him in death, as did his sister, Victoria Elizabeth Knobloch. He graduated from A. N. McCallum High School, and kept in touch with many of his classmates until his death. He attended Union College in Schenectady, NY, and graduated with a B. A. degree in government from the University of Texas at Austin. In 1976, he graduated from the UT Austin School of Law.

John practiced law in Austin from 1976 to 2000, when he moved to El Paso, TX. He was an attorney in El Paso and later corporate trust officer for Zia Trust Company, retiring due to ill health in June, 2012. He was on the boards of several non-profit organizations in Austin and El Paso, and was very active in sports activities of his sons. And, he was a lover of animals, including his dogs, Skipper, Sandy, Gracie, Austin, Scout, and especially Petey. John was much beloved, and will be sorely missed.

A Memorial Service will be held on Monday, April 15, 2013 at 11:00 AM at Martin Funeral Home West. A Funeral Mass and Inurnment will be held in Austin, Texas at a later date. Services entrusted to Martin Funeral Home West, 128 N. Resler Dr., El Paso, Texas 79912. www.MartinFuneralHomeWest.com