Joseph John "Joe" Tucker

Joseph John Tucker, 91, passed away on May 18, 2018, in Valley Baptist Hospital in Harlingen, Texas. Known to family and friends as "Joe," and to his grand- and great- grandchildren as "Paw Paw," Joe was born January 21, 1927 in Houston, Texas, to O.W. and Josephine Tucker. Shortly after his birth, his family moved to the Valley where he grew up in the San Benito area and graduated from San Benito High School.

Joe served in the U.S. Army in Tokyo, Japan following World War II, and then enrolled in The University of Texas at Austin and then Texas A&I University in Kingsville where he graduated in 1951 with a degree in petroleum and natural gas engineering.

While working at Dow Chemical Company in Freeport, Joe met the love of his life, Mary Delois (Dee) Glasgow. He often called their meeting "the best day of my life." After a brief courtship, they were married at "Uncle" Olin and "Aunt" Billie Wafer's home in Angleton on April 12, 1952. Two years later, Joe and Dee returned to the Valley to take up farming in La Feria, where they raised their three children. While living in La Feria, Joe farmed and took a "temporary" job that lasted 32 years with the U.S. Boundary & Water Commission; he retired as Project Manager at IBWC in 1985.

Always active in their children's activities, Joe was a Little League baseball manager, PTA president, and attended innumerable La Feria sporting and band events (where he loved occasionally embarrassing his kids). He also greatly enjoyed fishing in the lower Laguna Madre; playing dominos, bridge, cards and board games; and watching sports and boxing; but he most especially loved traveling the world and experiencing adventures with Dee.

Joe is survived by his loving wife of 66 years and 36 days, Dee Tucker of Harlingen; brother Charles Tucker (Nanette), San Benito; daughter Cheryl Dee Zinsmeyer, San Antonio; sons Joel Brian Tucker (Ann), Sugar Land, and John Gary Tucker (Liz), Houston; grandchildren Robert Allen Clary III, Los Angeles, CA; Ashley Dee Clary -Carpenter (Mike), San Antonio; Meredith Sue Tucker Huff (Clayton), Houston; Bethany Elise Tucker, Austin; and Joseph Ransom Tucker, Sugar Land; and great-granddaughters Cara Dee and Maya Mae Carpenter; "adopted" grandchildren; and numerous nieces and nephews. Joe is preceded in death by his parents, parents-in-law Laura and Bluford Glasgow, and sister Josue Tucker Martin.

Funeral services will be held at Heavenly Grace Funeral Home May 22, 2018 from 6:00 pm - 8:00pm. Funeral Service will held at Heavenly Grace Funeral Home at 10:00 am on May 23, 2018.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations made to the Salvation Army or a charity of choice.