John or “Bud”, as he was known to family and friends, was born July 24, 1930 to Mable Bell and John Waller Eggleston. He was the middle son of 5 children raised in Fort Worth, TX during the Great Depression. Bud worked paper routes and other odd jobs from a very young age to help the family. He attended Rosemont Junior High and graduated from Paschal High School in Fort Worth. Bud served in the Army from 1951 to 1953, manning the big Howitzer during the Korean War. Later, to all the kids, he proudly displayed a long scar across his middle that he claimed to have obtained during the war. (But, it was really from gallbladder surgery many years after the war. He just liked to watch the kids when he told his tall tale.)
After the war, Bud graduated from the Neely School of Business at Texas Christian University. It was during his time at TCU, that he met his wife, JoAnn Eggleston and they became die-hard Frog fans. Bud and JoAnn were married for 49 years until her death in 2004. They raised three daughters, Darcus, Jennifer and Angela, residing in Fort Worth’s Edgecliff Village where Bud lived for 60 years. Upon graduation from TCU, Bud worked for General Dynamics and then for Bell Helicopter, where he retired after 35 years of service. Upon their retirement, Bud and JoAnn travelled the world when they could. They experienced many different places such as Russia, China, the Middle East, England, France, Germany, Switzerland, Italy, Austria, Ireland and Japan. However, they were always happy to come home to their tight-knit family and the Frogs. Bud and JoAnn held TCU season football tickets every year since 1955 and all trips, events, weddings, etc had to be planned around Frog football as Bud never missed a game well into his late eighties.
While Christmas Eve was Bud’s day of entertaining with his secret punch, “the recipe” (a secret he takes with him), he was typically not a man that solicited guests and visiting. But, his wife, a high school teacher and mother-figure, was. Bud graciously opened his home to students and young people day and night for years. During this time, he met his “kinship” daughter, Amy and she would be part of his family the rest of his life.
Bud had an iron work ethic, a no frills attitude and a sharp, dry wit. He drove the same VW Bug every day in Texas with no air conditioning for 20 years. There was no task he was afraid to take on with his ingenuity, hard work and commitment. This commitment helped him excel at basketball through his school days and boxing through his army days, once defeating one of Joe Louis’ sparing partners. Even though he approached life “his way”, he was a devoted family man and his family always came first.
Bud is preceded in death by his wife, JoAnn Eggleston, parents Mable and John Eggleston, brothers Ernest and Jim Eggleston, sister Billie Jean Tindle and son-in-law William Kluge. He is survived by his sister Katherine Williams, daughter Darcus Kluge of Azle, daughter Jennifer Tyra and husband Timmy Tyra of Covington, daughter Angela Sams and husband Scott Sams of Arlington and kinship daughter, Amy Wohlkinger Hare and husband Michael Hare of Arlington, grandchildren: John Aaron Ables and wife Patricia, Katelin Kluge, Kristen Kluge and husband Luke, Cody Tyra and wife Staci, Ethan Tyra and wife Lena, Rachel Tyra, Justin Tyra, Conner Sams, Chelsea Sams, Matthew Wohlkinger, Holly Hook and husband Shane and great grandchildren: John Wyatt Ables, Lyla Ables, Clara Ables, Shaun Gonzalez, Samantha Gonzalez, Scotty Tyra and two more on the way.
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