William "Leon" Hogan

Leon (William L. Hogan) is survived by his two daughters and two sons in law: Barbara and Delbert Cox of Bedford and Shirley and Rick McCool of Brookshire, Texas. Leon is also survived by his nephew, Paul Smith of Bedford, 5 grandchildren, 14 great-grandchildren, and 10 great-great-grandchildren. He is preceded in death by his wife of 69 years, Martha Nungezer Hogan.

Leon Hogan was born on March 17, 1916 on a farm in Dallas County (present-day Hillcrest at Royal) to Trucie and Leonard Hogan. The family of three moved into town in 1923, and Leon graduated from Dallas Technical High School in 1935. He married Martha Nungezer of Dallas in 1937. Leon and Martha welcomed into their family Barbara Grace in 1938 and Shirley Ann in 1940. Leon worked as an aircraft mechanic during and after World War II and in 1955 began a second career as Supervising Maintenance Machinist at US Envelope Company in Dallas, from whence he retired in 1981. His daughters remember him as a devoted and loving father who became a doting and sentimental daddy in his older years.

Leon was a skilled mechanic, machinist, carpenter, and craftsman who also loved driving, gardening, and fishing. He taught his daughters to drive and all five of his grandchildren to waterski. In his free time he could often be found in his coveralls, working on various projects and repairs around the house, which was always meticulously maintained and preserved. A child of the Great Depression, Leon was a frugal saver and would often repair and re-use household items rather than discarding and replacing them.

Leon was an active and dedicated member of Northway Baptist Church and a 32nd Degree Endowed Member of the Love Field Chapter of the Masonic Lodge. He was a proud recipient of one of Masonry’s highest honors: The Golden Trowel. He volunteered on multiple projects including driving and servicing the church vans and maintaining the building and grounds at the Lodge. Leon and Martha spent their middle years caring for their aging parents (his father also lived to age 99) and numerous elderly relatives, who never had to go without groceries, clean laundry, and weekly rides to the beauty shop. When his beloved wife and lifelong companion became ill, Leon once again assumed the role of Caregiver and lovingly tended to Martha’s every need until her death in 2006.

In 2007, Leon moved to Parkwood Retirement Community in 2007 where he made a host of new friends and loved ones, including Mildred Mitchum, his ‘Forty-Two’ partner and steady girlfriend.

A memorial service is scheduled for 1:00 on Saturday, June 6 in the Chapel at First Baptist Church of Euless, 1000 W. Airport Freeway, Euless, Texas. Bob Neely, Minister of Pastoral Care, will lead this celebration of Leon Hogan’s long and productive life. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial donation to Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children (tsrhc.org).