Hal C. Horton Jr.

Lt Col Hal C. Horton Jr, (102), passed away on December 15, 2018. He attributed his longevity to three things: Jack Daniels, chocolate, and pecans. He often added, “I can’t remember when I’ve had a Jack Daniels.” He was born in Greenville, Texas on October 15, 1916 to Hunt County Pioneers Hal C. Horton Sr. and Gertrude Briscoe Horton. He attended the University of Texas until July 1941 when he joined the Army Air Corp. His first assignment was Mather Field, Sacramento, California. There, he served as a flight trainer.

On August 30, 1941 he married Lelloine Ragland of Daingerfield, Texas. During WWII he became a member of the 315th Bomb Wing in Guam where he served until the end of the war. He then returned to Hunt County, commanding Air Force Reserve Recovery Squadron at Majors Field in Greenville, Texas, and it was involved in the Cuban Missile Crisis.

Following his active service, he worked in the family grain business in Hunt County. After retirement from the reserves, he and Lelloine moved to Fannin County where they ran Horton Oil and Bonham Transfer. In the 1980’s, his son Hal R. Horton from Anchorage, Alaska, introduced Hal to the Alaska Pipeline. Col. Horton worked there until his second retirement. They spent many years traveling before they moved from Fannin County to San Antonio. Hal was a staunch patriot, doting husband, and devoted father.

Hal is preceded in death by his son Hal R. Horton, Sr, siblings Sarah and Paul Plunkett, Jack and Joyce Horton, and Sam and Mary Lauderdale.

He is survived by his wife of 77 years, Lelloine Ragland Horton; daughter, Lelloine Waits (David) of Rockport, Texas; daughter-in-law, Beth Horton Dittrich of Tucson, Arizona; grandchildren, Laura Fogle (David) of Lindsay, Texas; Elizabeth Shelton (Lance) of Slidell, Texas; Rachel Waits of Dallas, Texas; Terry Horton of Tucson, Arizona; and Hal R. Horton, Jr. of Hollywood, California; great-grandchildren, Taylor McNeill of Little Rock, Arkansas; Marti Thompson (Brady) of Little Rock, Arkansas; Layton Shelton and Landry Shelton of Slidell, Texas; and Alex Horton of Tucson, Arizona.

Hal lived a rich and abundant life. Proud of his heritage, he could always be relied upon to tell an historical anecdote about Texas. As an artisan, he was known by many for his stained-glass windows as well as his wooden puzzles. He knew no strangers, and as such he will be missed by many.

Memorial services will occur at a later date.