James D. Sweeney

He attended the University of Texas at Austin, joined the Alpha Tau Omega Fraternity, graduated with a Bachelors Degree in Business Administration.

He worked for IBM Corp. and during WWII served as a Captain in the Army Air Corp. After the war, he returned to IBM as Branch Manager of San Antonio and South Texas. He began his longtime successful career as a grocery executive, at Sweeney & Company, the wholesale grocery company in San Antonio and South Texas.

Fourteen years later he joined Waples - Platter Companies in Fort Worth and later became President. The company grew and achieved national recognition in the food industry during his leadership. In addition to Waples - Platter Companies, he was also a Director of White Swan, Inc., Graphic Arts, Inc., Ranch Style, Inc. and the Fort Worth National Bank.

Mr. Sweeney served as Chairman of the Board of the National American Wholesale Grocers Association NAWGA. He was also a trustee of the National Association of Wholesale Distributors, a Director of the Food Marketing Institute and The Texas Association of Taxpayers.

At the time of his death, he was a Board Member of the Ryan Foundation of Fort Worth. In 1983, James D. Sweeney negotiated and managed the sale of Waples - Platter Companies to Fleming Foods and American Home Products

He is survived by his wife of 55 years, Edith Jarrell Sweeney; his children, Thomas Jarrell Sweeney of San Diego, CA and Anita Sweeney of Washington, DC; his grandson, James Marshall Sweeney; his daughter-in-law, Adele Huey Sweeney; and his sisters, Julia Sweeney of Dallas, Peggy Welborn of Austin and Catherine Hinkle of Nevada, MO; and devoted longtime employee, Eleasar Montoya Perez.

Honorary Pallbearers: Thurman Clements, Victoria, TX, Tobin Armstrong, Armstrong, TX, Raymond Harrison, Austin, TX, Bee Cochran, Corpus Christi, TX, Eugene Ames, Jr., George J. Ames, Ralph Lehr, Bond Davis, Charles Huey, Jr., John Ryan, Jr., Ft, Worth, Lyndall Kirkley, Ft. Worth, TX, W. A. Tex Moncrief, Jr., Ft. Worth, Carlton Hagelstein, Jr., and Peter Hennessey.