James "JT" Houk, Jr.

James Titus Houk, Jr. passed away on November 18, 2022 at the age of 93. Jay or JT, as he was familiarly known to many, a long time resident of Baton Rouge, was born in Walker County Alabama on October 11, 1929. He was born into a coal mining family of eighteen children. Jay worked as a young man to support his family so he was unable to complete his education. He was, however, a proud and accomplished man who later was awarded a high school diploma after passing the GED examination at LSU. Jay drove a coal truck when he was thirteen years old while cleverly avoiding the scrutiny of authorities. After a brief stint in the Army in 1946, where he was injured in a tank accident and received an honorable medical discharge, he would go on to be a foreman at construction sites, a union secretary for UA local 669 (Sprinkler Fitters) who represented his union brothers at national meetings in Washington, DC, and a site foreman for Occidental Petroleum in Russia and Bolivia.

Jay was a gifted athlete who excelled at baseball as a semi-pro pitcher and at golf where he would routinely break 80. He was a fierce competitor, a trait he passed down to his children. His drive to win notwithstanding, however, one of his proudest moments was the day his oldest son finally defeated him on the old Greenwood Golf Course in Baker, La. Jay was a Little League coach who taught his players not only how to play baseball but to treat everyone with dignity and respect. His philosophy was ''everyone plays" regardless of skill level or physical handicap and he was true to that credo regardless of the score. Jay also served as the pit crew for his oldest son's motocross races in Tennessee.

Jay, being a native of Alabama, was always a big Crimson Tide fan but after moving to Baton Rouge as a young man where he would start a family and reside the rest of his life, he became the gate captain at gate six in Tiger Stadium. From that point on he was a great Tiger fan and remained so until his death. In fact, the only time he did not pull for Alabama was when they played the Tigers. As gate captain, he had box seats right above the entrance where the Tiger Band entered the stadium and he would bring his two young sons (Jimmy and Jeb) to the games so they could enjoy the spectacle that is Tiger Stadium.

Jay is preceded in death by two sons, Jeb and Joel, and is survived in death by his wife, Milagros Alba Morales, four children, James Houk (wife Lynne), Wanda Harding (husband Larry), Rhonda Langlois (husband Randy) and Jolie Houk; four siblings, Frank, Doyle (Whitey), Marylynn and Sue; a half-sister Theresa; a sister-in-law, Aunt Faye; seventeen grandchildren, Jacob, Ethan, Tim, Josh, Michael, Devin, Miranda, Ty, Jamie, Chad, Dustin, Blakely, Christina, Jordan, Gabriel, Zachary, and Colby; and a number of great grandchildren.

Family and friends are invited to attend funeral services. Visitation for Jay will the held at Central Funeral Home, 9995 Hooper Road Central, LA from 1 to 3 pm on Sunday, December 4. A memorial service will follow at 3 pm at the same venue.