Reuben Frank Plachy

April 11, 1917 – August 14, 2014

97 years, 4 months, and 3 days

Reuben Frank Plachy, a faithful husband, a great dad, a terrific grandpa, and a loving great-grandpa, went to be with his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ while at his recent home in Tomball, Texas on Thursday, August 14, 2014 with his loving wife of 72 years nearby.

Reuben was born on April 11, 1917 in El Campo, TX to his parents Charles and Della Plachy. His dad was an El Campo schoolteacher and Della had been one of his former students. Their family moved to Houston when Reuben was two years old and lived on Bagby street across from where the Houston City Hall is presently. The family later moved to the Heights area on 26th Street. His dad became “Frenchie”, a well known barber in the downtown Houston area who eventually had his own barbershop on Washington Avenue. Reuben attended and graduated from Reagan High School in 1935. He barbered with his dad for about four years before beginning a lifetime career as a letter carrier in the Houston area with the US Postal Service. Reuben lived near and met his future wife Elnora several years before their first date in 1940 and their marriage in November of 1941. Reuben served in the US Army during World War II and was stationed in several domestic locations during those years. Their first son was born in New York City during his military service. When his military service was over, Reuben and Elnora settled on the near north side of Houston on Dorchester street. While there, the family grew to four children in a twenty foot by twenty foot house before building a larger home on the same lot in 1956 to make room for the growing family and the birth of their fifth child. Reuben’s postal route to deliver mail was in the downtown Houston area. As Houston grew, his route increased in volume, but decreased in area and eventually evolved to only a few floors of the old First City National Bank building that included firms such as the Vincent and Elkins law firm. When Reuben was not repairing family appliances and vehicles (at which he was very good), he was very active in the Boy Scout organization for over twenty-five years, serving as Scoutmaster of Troop 231 for most of those years which included many camping and hiking trips all over the Houston area with his sons and other neighborhood scouts. In 1972 Reuben and Elnora and their youngest son moved to The Woodlands area where they resided until January of this year (2014). Reuben retired from the Postal Service in 1975 at the age of 58 after 38 years of service. Since retirement, he continued to live and display his life long skills for ‘fixing’ almost everything at his home and the homes of all his children and some grandchildren whether they were in Houston, Tallahassee, Van Horn, Colorado, or anywhere else. He and Elnora rarely missed attending recitals, sports activities, graduations, and birthdays of children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren. Reuben learned to communicate through a computer and email around the age of ninety. He and Elnora moved into the independent living section of the Tomball Retirement Center in January (2014) where they resided and continued to see and communicate with all their extended family as his health declined. His hearing and eyesight were declining but he never lost his dry sense of humor or his mental sharpness. Nor did he lose his desire to care and provide all he could for his many descendants whom he kept an amazing awareness of where they all were and what was happening in their individual lives. Only when he reached a sense that all would be okay, was he ready to depart this life. That time came on August 14. We all will miss him greatly and will always remember him, most notably when something breaks, knowing that he could have fixed it for almost no cost.

Reuben was preceded in death by his parents Charles (‘Frenchie’) and Della Plachy, longtime residents of Houston, his sister Charlene Engelking, a grandson Taylor Plachy, and a great-grandson Cade Millspaugh.

He is survived by:

His wife of seventy-two (72) years Elnora Plachy,

His sisters:

Ruth Bishop of Halletsville, TX

Anna Marie Wier and her husband John Thomas (J.T.) of Houston, TX

His children:

son Reuben Plachy of Tallahassee, FL,

daughter Lynda Taylor and her husband Victor of Athens, TX,

son Richard Plachy and his wife Suellen of Tomball, TX

son Rodger Plachy and his wife Valarie of Tomball, TX

son Randy Plachy of Spring, TX

daughter-in-love Faith Plachy of Magnolia, TX.

Thirteen grandchildren:

Charlie Plachy of Tallahasse, FL

Keith Taylor and wife Jolie of Kilgore, TX

Ty Taylor and wife Amy of Tomball, TX

Amber Collins and husband Ethan of The Woodlands, TX

Denver Plachy of Houston, TX

Hudson Plachy and wife Kelly of Nashville, TN

Ellie Bakk and husband Jeremiah of Colorado Springs, CO

Preston Plachy of Paris, France

Shelby Millspaugh and husband Jon of Horseheads, NY

Kelsey Markham and husband Ray of Tomball, TX

Spencer Plachy and wife Laura of Astoria, NY

Amanda Plachy of Magnolia, TX, and

Erin Plachy of Magnolia, TX.

Twenty-two Great-grandchildren:

‘T’ and Scottie Taylor of Kilgore, TX

Isaac, Ben, and Ollie Taylor of Tomball, TX

Emmett, Ava Grace, and Sawyer Collins of The Woodlands, TX

Caroline Plachy of Houston, TX

Kate Willow Plachy of Nashville, TN

Josie Joy, Lucy Dawn, and Whitaker Bakk of Colorado Springs, CO

Melody, Zoe, Avery, Keeley, and Zane Millspaugh of Horseheads, NY

Taylor and Carson Ester of Tomball, TX and

Lexton and Zander Markham of Tomball, TX.

And the legacy will continue.

Pallbearers:

Keith Taylor , Ty Taylor, Denver Plachy, Ray Markham,

T Taylor, Scottie Taylor, Taylor Ester, Carson Ester

Honorary Pallbearers:

Hudson Plachy, Preston Plachy, Spencer Plachy,

Charlie Plachy, Jeremiah Bakk, Ethan Collins, Jon Millspaugh

Visitation will be from 10:30 am until 11:00 am Tuesday, August 19, 2014 with a Funeral service beginning at 11:00 am at Brookside Funeral Home Grand Chapel. Interment will follow in Brookside Memorial Park.

In lieu of flowers, the family would request that consideration be given to donations to the organizations of either:

Focus on the Family

8600 Explorer Drive

Colorado Springs, CO 80920

Phone: 1-800-232-6459

or

His Grace Foundation

P.O. Box 722

Tomball, Texas 77377-0722

Ministering to the patients and families

on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit of

Texas Children’s Hospital

Phone: 281-620-4511