Luther Trammell

Luther Trammell, Jr. was born to Alma Hamilton Trammell and James Luther Trammell, Sr. on the 12th of June 1919 in McLennan County, Texas, on a farm near Waco. He went home to heaven on Tuesday, the 27th of September 2011, at the age of 92.

In the third grade, “June,” as his mother called him, met the love of his life, a pretty brown-eyed girl, Loraine Oxley, at his cousin’s birthday party. They attended Waco High School and Baylor University together and were married in 1942. Adoring and providing for his bride “Punkie,” a nickname only used by family and childhood friends, was the first passion of his life. To his last day he thought she was beautiful and he told her so.

Luther served for five years in the United States Army. He served during World War II as a Master Sergeant, Chief Warrant Officer, and 1st Lieutenant in the Quarter Master Corps.

After the war, the Trammell’s moved to Houston and joined the First Presbyterian Church, which would become an integral part of their life of faith and friendships forever.

As a young boy, Luther filled his little red wagon with the produce from his father’s crop and took it to market to sell. He supported himself from the age of twelve and thereafter, by selling everything from homegrown tomatoes to shoes.

His first job after the war was chef for his cousin’s restaurant, Etchison’s, a diner in downtown Houston. With the birth of their daughter Kathryn in 1952, Mr. Trammell wanted to improve his earnings and decided to seek his fortune as a frozen food salesman. Little did he know that this business was beginning to take off, as “freeze the best and can the rest” became a motto of the nineteen fifties.

He learned the trade and founded Trammell, Temple, & Staff. He was principle of his own frozen food brokerage firm and a pioneer in the business.

“Mr. T.” as professional colleagues often called him, was active in the national organization of frozen foods and is well remembered by this trademark: “Stetson and cigar, he said his hello’s and goodbyes by pressing a silver dollar into the handshake or pitching a handful of the coins on a desk.”

Familiar maxims from rural Texas such as “I didn’t just fall off a turnip truck,” and “Keep your head down and your tail up” are memorable examples of his common sense, honest work ethic, and solid Texas spirit.

When his friend of many years founded Sysco Corporation, headquartered in Houston, Luther Trammell was the obvious choice for handling the frozen food products and services. Sysco purchased Trammell, Temple & Staff in 1985 and in 1993 Mr. Trammell retired as vice president of frozen foods of Sysco.

He lived the American dream and was esteemed for his integrity and innate talent in negotiating a sale with fairness, goodwill and creative flair.

In 1958 a drunk driver killed his mother-in-law, sister-in-law and her husband, leaving a niece and nephew orphaned. The Trammell’s raised them as their own children.

At the First Presbyterian Church Mr. Trammell served as a church officer for over fifty years, de