Jack Kinnion Lawler

Jack Kinnion Lawler, American patriot, native Texan, UT graduate, honorary Baylor Bear, devout Christian and long-time Austinite, passed peacefully into Heaven on January 29, 2025. Jack, the youngest of three, was born in January 1928, to Charles and Laura New Lawler in a rural farming community near Joliette in Caldwell County, Texas. His father died suddenly when Jack was 6 years old, and he became a devoted son to his widowed mom who never remarried. He and his siblings helped nurture their mother through the Depression Years when the family farm was lost and Jack and his mother moved to Austin, where his mother ran a boarding house for UT men.

While attending Austin High School and living at the boarding house, he visited Hyde Park Baptist Church, where he met his future wife Wynona Gault of Austin (better known as Doodie) and a number of like-minded men with whom he bonded for life. He accepted Jesus as his Lord and Savior. Jack and many of his friends enlisted in the USMC and other branches of the military near the end of World War II. After Jack’s discharge, he and Doodie married.

Many of their Austin High friends had similar tracks as the men joined the military, returned to Austin following their discharge, married, had children, and joined Hyde Park Baptist Church. Most of these men played competitive sports in their youth and while serving in the military. A particularly tight-knit group of men started a men’s softball team at Hyde Park whose baseball prowess became quite a local story – a church-sponsored softball team that competed at the highest levels of open city-league softball. The nucleus of the softball team became a Band of Brothers and the newly married couples, and their new families developed personal relationships that endured for decades.

Jack graduated from the University of Texas and worked for the Steck Company corporate sales group in Austin, then moved the family to Big Spring, Texas where he worked for the Big Spring Herald newspaper.

But the young couple, now with two small children, missed their close-knit group of friends from Hyde Park, their parents, siblings, and the familiar surroundings of Austin. So, after one year in West Texas, they returned to Austin, where Jack opened his own public relations and advertising company and worked as the sole proprietor for 25 years. Jack became interested in the public relations aspect of the local political scene and was actively involved in local city council, county, state, and congressional races for a number of years.

He later served as Editor of the Texas State Troopers Association’s monthly newsletter. He considered serving the law enforcement community in this capacity as one of his proudest moments.

In his spare time, Jack was an avid hunter and outdoorsman. While physically able, he and Doodie attended Austin Baptist Church where they were proud members of the Lamplighters Sunday School Class.

The passing of Doodie, his constant companion for more than 70 years, rocked Jack’s world. With the passage of time, his overall health and mobility deteriorated and eventually the family moved him to an Assisted Living Facility where he spent the balance of his days.

Jack is preceded in death by his parents, Charles Allen Lawler and Laura New Lawler, brother Charles Alton Lawler, sister Merle Etheridge, Wynona, his wife of 73 years and daughters Nancy Lawler Minton and Patti June Lawler.

He is survived by his son Jeff Lawler (Pat), daughter Marsha Goff (David), all of Austin, grandchildren Jace Lawler (Melissa) of Cypress, Texas, Alyssa Smith (Scott) of Dallas, Texas, Savannah Windham (Mims) of Houston, Texas, Kevin Goff of Lacey, Washington, Kristi Curlee (Dennis) of Austin, Jennifer Goff of Austin, Jared Minton (Meagan), Vanessa Minton, and Garrett Minton, all of Leander and seven great-grandchildren.

Visitation open to the public will be held at the Weed Corley Fish Parkcrest Funeral Home on Wednesday, February 5 from 3:00 p.m. -7:00 p.m.

A formal service will be held at Austin Baptist Church on Thursday, February 6 at 2:00 p.m., with Dr. Harold O’Chester officiating.

A graveside ceremony will follow at the Liberty Hill Cemetery in Liberty Hill, Texas at which time the US Navy Honor Guard will honor Jack as a WW II veteran during an active war period.

The family expresses its gratitude to the members of Jack and Doodie’s Sunday School class at Austin Baptist Church, the officers and staff at the Texas Department of Public Safety that Jack met during his tenure with TSTA, the caregivers at Juniper Village at Spicewood Summit, Hospice Austin and all of the private caregivers that loved on Jack and Doodie during their later years.

With Jack’s passing, another member of that Hyde Park’s Band of Brothers softball team is reunited with his teammates, still playing softball in the name of their Creator, but in Heaven - where every game is a Home game.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, monetary or in-kind donations be made to Hospice Austin.