Edward Frank Havran

Edward Frank Havran passed away Monday, August 17, 2015, at the age of 94. Memorial service: 3 p.m. Friday at Colleyville Church of Christ, 1008 Church St., Colleyville, 76034, followed by a reception in the Fellowship Hall.

Burial: Private interment with full military honors will be held in Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. Memorials:

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorials be made to the Havran Memorial/Grapevine Historical Society at Grapevine Historical Society, P.O. Box 995, Grapevine, Texas 76099-0995; or to the FWCDS Havran Fund, Fort Worth Country Day School, 4200 Country Day Lane, Fort Worth, Texas 76109.

Ed Havran was born February 19, 1921, in Weinert to parents, Julia Jasek and Adolph Havran. He grew up on the family farm and attended Weinert High School.

He was editor of the newspaper and yearbook and received many Future Farmers of America awards including the Most Outstanding FFA Student of Area IV. Graduating as class Salutatorian in 1938, Ed was awarded a scholarship to Texas Tech where he pursued his love of agriculture. Here he met the love of his life, his wife of 70 years, Muriel Gunn.

Ed graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in agriculture economics and immediately enlisted in the service of his country at the height of World War II. In 1943, he became a navigator and bombardier on the B-17, called the Flying Fortress. He completed 35 B-17 missions over Hitler's Europe with the 8th Army Air Force's 401st Bomb Group. His group was a highly decorated Air Group in World War II, their missions being completed after participating in the Battle of the Bulge. On February 19, 1945, during his leave from the European Theater of Operations, Ed and Muriel were married.

After his tour of military duty ended, Ed returned to Texas Tech and completed his master's degree in agriculture, remaining in the Air Force Reserve until retirement in 1972 with the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Ed's primary career was with the dairy industry, based in Grapevine, where Ed and Muriel relocated. Here, he maintained a Texas All-Jersey, Inc. and Jersey Cattle Club office for over 20 years. In 1994 the Canadian Jersey Cattle Club named Ed the Ambassador of the Jersey Breed.

In the early 1970s, Ed and Muriel moved from Grapevine to Colleyville, where they resided until Ed's death. They loved to travel with members of the dairy industry, but their most memorable trip was "just the two of them" spending Christmas in Prague the year the Iron Curtain fell. After retirement in 1982 from his agricultural career, Ed devoted his time to helping others through volunteerism.

Always an active member of the Church of Christ, Ed chaired many committees and served as an elder at the Colleyville Church of Christ for many years.

He served as state coordinator for the American Association of Retired Persons Pre-Retirement and Work Force Program for 10 years working with the 75 volunteers on his team. He was a longtime member of the Grapevine Historical Society serving on its board and being a key donor to the dairy exhibit at the Grapevine Historical Museum. Ed helped to organize the Grapevine Relief and Community Exchange, Open Hands, Senior Leadership Northeast and four AARP Chapters. "The Havran Dairy History Archives" were donated to and are permanently housed and displayed at Texas Tech University.

Ed received much recognition for his volunteer work including the 1997 Harriet Griffin Community Service Award presented by the Heritage Southwest Medical Group of Fort Worth and Senior Texas Publications of Dallas, the Colleyville Area Chamber of Commerce Senior Leadership Award in 2000 and the 1992 Star Telegram Northeast Volunteer of the Year Award. Ed Havran left valuable legacy of service to country, community and family. He shall be greatly missed.

He was preceded in death by his parents, Julia and Adolph Havran, and his grandson, Barrett Havran. Survivors: Wife, Muriel Havran; Children, Susan Havran Carter and husband Jim, Bob Havran and wife Joy Ann, John Havran and wife Susan; Grandchildren, Jay Carter, Whitney Carter Patella and husband Rob, Blake Havran, Mark Havran and Holly Havran; Great Grandchildren, Mariel Carter, Charlotte Paces Carter and AJ Patella; Sisters, Leona Partridge and Irene Burkart and other family and friends.