John Lamar Stavinoha Sr.

He is survived by daughter Lisa Sawtelle and her husband Mike; son John Stavinoha Jr. and his wife Edith; daughters Suzanne Stavinoha and Jane Stavinoha; and six grandchildren including Matthew Sawtelle and wife Christine; Caroline Sawtelle; Travis Sawtelle and wife Chloe; Maren Stavinoha; John Stavinoha III; James Stavinoha; and one great grandson, Brady Sawtelle. His wife, Bette Stavinoha, died in 2005.

Born in Hallettesville, Texas, on September 26, 1917, the second son of Cyril and Mary Stavinoha, John attended The University of Texas at Austin and was a lifelong Longhorns fan. He was in US Army Air Corps flight training when Pearl Harbor was bombed, and was soon deployed to Amchitka in the Aleutian Islands. John’s P-40 was forced down in the Bering Sea, and he was rescued by a Navy PBY Catalina that was able to put down in high swells. He spent the end of the war teaching pilots in Florida for P-38’s and P-51’s, and later retired from the Reserve at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel.

In 1943, John married his college sweetheart, Elizabeth Ruth Mathias, and later they settled in Houston, Texas. He began a career selling insurance, but said he never liked talking to people about tragedy. He soon switched to furniture sales where he had a highly successful career as a manufacturer and sales representative.

An avid golfer, fisherman and gin rummy player, John enjoyed spending time with family and friends, and the feeling was always mutual.

The family will receive friends on Monday, April 15, from 6-7 pm at Sunset Funeral Home on Austin Highway in San Antonio. A rosary will follow at 7 pm. The funeral mass will be held Tuesday, April 16, at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church at 12 noon, followed by a graveside service at Fort Sam Houston Cemetery at 1:30 pm.

The family would like to take this opportunity to express their deep gratitude to Ms. Anjanette Perez and Ms. Rosalinda Ruiz for the loving, compassionate and highly professional care they provided during the last several months of John’s life. Also, many thanks go to the staff at Evercare Hospice, particularly Ms. Angel Finney and Mr. Hector Garza.

In lieu of flowers – and in memory of John’s wife, Bette – please make a contribution to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation (www.pdf.org).