John O. Roark

John was born on November 1, 1940 in Bug Tussle, Texas to Gladys (Whitt) and Walter Allen Roark. He passed away peacefully on Saturday, January 23, 2016 and was surrounded by his wife, his family and close friends. A Celebration of Life service will be held at First United Methodist Church-Temple on Saturday, January 30, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. in the sanctuary located at 102 North 2nd Street, Temple, Texas. A reception will follow at the church’s Family Life and Worship Center.John was a 1958 graduate of Greenville High School in Greenville, Texas. He received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Southwestern University in Georgetown, Texas, where he was a member of the Kappa Sigma Fraternity. He then graduated from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas and was admitted to the State Bar of Texas in 1967. John married Kathleen Harris on June 13, 1964, at St Paul's Methodist Church in Houston, Texas. He was board certified in Personal Injury Trial Law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and in Civil Trial Law by the National Board of Trial Advocacy. He was a member of the Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the American Association for Justice, The National Academy of Elder Law Attorneys, the American Board of Trial Advocates and a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.John began his law career in Houston, Texas and in 1974 he and his wife Kaki moved their family to Temple, Texas, where he maintained his law practice and in December 2012, he became “of counsel” at the law firm of Cappolino, Dodd & Krebs, LLP. John had also been the municipal court judge in Nolanville, Texas since 2007. John became involved in Thoroughbred horse racing in the early 1980’s. He owned and raced Thoroughbred horses all over the Midwest and South for over twenty years. He was a founding member and past president of the Texas Thoroughbred Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association and a past chairman of the Texas Horsemen’s Partnership. John then became the National President of the Horsemen’s Benevolent and Protective Association from July 2001 until April 2006. He served as General Counsel for the Racetrack Chaplaincy of America and was instrumental in organizing substance abuse counseling and many other benevolent services for the individuals who worked on the backside of racetracks. John and his family have been active members of First United Methodist Church, Temple since 1974. He became a certified lay-minister in the Methodist church in 2008. He served several small rural churches in the surrounding area and later became the pastor of Bartlett First United Methodist Church in 2011. John is preceded in death by his father, Walter Allen Roark (deceased in 1956), his mother and step-father, Gladys (Roark) Trotter and Raymond Trotter. He is survived by his beloved wife, Kaki; his son, Wayne; his son Allen and wife Sarah; his daughter Sharon and husband Lee; his grandchildren, Hannah, Christian, John, Max and Jameson; his sister Wanda Allen; his sister Linda Hutchinson Jennings; and his sister-in-law, Sharon Howell.In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First United Methodist Church Temple-Mission Fund, Food for Friends in Bartlett (13200 FM 972, Granger, Texas 76530), Communities in Schools (any Temple or Belton school of your choice) or the charity of your choice.