Sterling B. McCall Jr.

McCall was born on the 25th of February 1935, to Sterling B. McCall and Dorothy Royer McCall. He was raised in Houston and graduated from Lamar High School in 1953. He attended Southern Methodist University graduating in 1957, with a Bachelor in Business Administration. He went on to attend the University of Texas Law School where he met his wife Marianne and graduated in 1960. McCall served as an officer in the United States Air Force in the Judge Advocate General’s Department from 1960 – 1963.

After his military service, he spent several years in Houston as a real estate attorney. However, his longtime love of the automobile lead him to found Southwest Toyota in 1969 (later Sterling McCall Toyota) which was the first single point Toyota franchise in Houston. He grew the dealership into one of the largest and most respected in the country. In 1989, McCall was chosen by Toyota as one of the first 40 Lexus franchises in the United States and quickly grew it into one of the largest in the country. As a visionary businessman, McCall co-founded Group 1 Automotive, an international automobile retail company in 1995 and assisted in its IPO in 1997.

In his retirement, he was an avid car collector and founded the Sterling McCall Old Car Museum in Warrenton, TX. The museum included a variety of cars from the early 1900’s through the 1960’s. One of his favorite groups of cars was his large collection of Cadillacs. In the last years, he enjoyed collecting many exotic cars and his most recent passion was the all-electric cars of Tesla. However, his biggest joy was his twelve grandchildren whom he loved dearly.

McCall served on the board of Goodwill Industries of Houston carrying on his father-in-law’s legacy. He served for more than 20 years, most recently as the Senior Chairman of the Board. McCall was involved with and supported a variety of other charitable causes over the years including Pine Cove Christian Camps, Laity Lodge Foundation Camps, Round Top Children’s Library, SIRE, Champions-4-Children plus many more.

McCall is survived by his wife of 54 years, Marianne O. McCall, his children Sterling B. McCall, III and wife Mauri, Raymond O. McCall and wife Monica, Allison Anne McCall and Karen M. Brown and her husband Steve and his twelve grandchildren Madison & Maegan McCall, Merritt, Madeleine & Avery McCall, Virginia, Grace, Anna & Margaret Sitzes, AnneElise, Corbin & MaryClaire Brown. He is also survived by his sisters, Patti McCall Holliday, Mary Anne McCall VanCoutren and husband Andy.

A memorial service is to be conducted at eleven o’clock in the morning on Monday, the 14th of October, at Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay Street in Houston, where Dr. Jim Jackson, Senior Pastor, is to officiate.

In lieu of customary remembrances, contributions may be directed to Goodwill Industries, 1140 W. Loop North, Houston, TX, 77055; Pine Cove Christian Camps, PO Box 9055, Tyler, TX, 75711; Laity Lodge Foundation, PO Box 290670, Kerrville, TX, 78029; Round Top Children’s Library, PO Box 245, Round Top, TX, 78954; SIRE, http://sire-htec.org/; Champions-4-Children, 3804 Avenue B, Austin, TX,78751; or to the charity of one’s choice.