Gaines E. Oxley

Mr. Oxley was born on April 16, 1940, in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, to Raleigh and Varena Oxley and passed away on July 12, 2015, at his home in Flint after a long battle with cancer.

He is survived by his wife of 33 years, Delene Taylor Oxley, of Flint; daughters, Loreece Valerie Oxley, of Tyler, and Sheryl Oxley, of Tulsa, Oklahoma; granddaughter, Crystal Dawn Stringer, of Tyler; two great-grandchildren; sister, Glenda Kay Harmon, of Bedford; several nieces and nephews; and Megan McGuane, of Frankston, to whom he was a father-like figure. He was raised in Pleasant Hill, Louisiana, until he was 16, when he left home with no money and a pocket knife. He settled in New Orleans, Louisiana, where he got his start in the restaurant business.

Gaines moved to Tyler with his new family and opened and operated the Tottle House for several years. In 1968 he opened D's Coffee Shop. He ran three Dairy Queens in the '70s and '80s and later retired from restaurants after selling Chicken & Burgers at Lake Palestine.

Gaines' earlier years were spent working, playing cards or skiing on Lake Tyler. He was also a self-taught computer repairman. Gaines had an honorable reputation and always did his best to do what was right. He always stressed to anyone he talked to that it doesn't matter your beliefs, just do what is right. He always did his best to do just that. Gaines had a soft heart for all living things, especially furry ones, taking in all in the neighborhood that didn't have a home.

He dedicated his last years to learning about the history of his family to ensure they were never forgotten. The Oxleys came to the U.S. in 1759 and his great-grandfather was among the first settlers of Sabine Parrish. This Oxley name may stop here but his memory lives on in all of us.