Henry Weldon Horton Jr.

A Mass of Christian Burial will be in Tyler at 11 a.m. Saturday, July 26, at the Catholic Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 423 S. Broadway. Burial will follow at the Cathedral in the Pines Cemetery, 7825 S. Broadway, at approximately 12:15 p.m.

Born on April 1, 1918, Henry was the son of Henry Weldon Horton, Sr. and Agnes Alexander Horton. He grew up in Houston, and began working for United States Steel at the age of 15 while completing his high school degree at night. It was at U.S. Steel that he met Earnestine Schneider, but their blooming romance was interrupted when Mr. Horton was called to serve his country during World War II. He served from 1944 to 1946 as an aviation storekeeper in the U. S. Navy, stationed in Patuxent, MD. After his military service, Mr. Horton returned to U.S. Steel, where he worked in sales for 45 years. He and Earnestine married on Sept. 12, 1947 and raised three children in Houston and Dallas before retiring to Tyler in the early eighties.

A die-hard Texas Rangers and Dallas Cowboys fan, Mr. Horton was also an avid photographer, bibliophile, music lover and expert dominoes player. He delighted in the natural world and favorite family trips were camping in Colorado, New Mexico, Wyoming and Montana. He enjoyed fishing, hunting and the occasional pipe or cigar. During retirement, Mr. and Mrs. Horton traveled from one side of the United States to the other, exploring this country’s great heritage and frequently enjoying live music in Branson, MO.

Mr. Horton was a devoted husband, steadfast father, kindly grandfather, and doting great-grandfather. His 10 grandchildren remember him for the amazing pancake breakfasts he cooked for them, visits to the pecan and peach orchards of Tyler, teaching them the intricacies of “42” by beating them at the game, and his quiet sense of humor.

He is survived by Earnestine, whom he always referred to as “my bride”; sons Hank, Robin (Renée), and daughter Melissa (David); grandchildren Sarah (David), Rachel (Joey), Lauren (Michael), Noah, Rebecca (Drew), Evan, Clare, Caitlin (Michael), Alex and Andrea; and great-grandchildren Audrey, Ryan, Amelia, William, Lily and Adeline.

Mr. Horton was preceded in death by his parents, his sister, Agnese Hawley Younger, his daughter-in-law Dianne Dwinnell Horton, and his beloved dog Barney.

In his later years Mr. Horton found great joy in listening to books on tape. Thus, in lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the National Library Service for the Blind through the Texas Talking Book Program ([email protected]), or a charity of choice.