Joseph Rucker Pyle, Jr.

Joseph R. Pyle, Jr., of Spring, Texas passed away June 24, 2023. He was born in Martinsville, VA, on January 10, 1945. Joseph graduated from Bellaire High School. He married the love of his life, Maria M. Brown,on December 18, 1976.

Joseph had a career in Law Enforcement with the Houston Police Department and the Harris County Sheriff's Department. He was a member of the Texas Polygraph Examiners Association.

He had a passion for target shooting and guns, as well as fishing, although he didn't get to go very often.

He is survived by his wife , 3 children, and 10 grandchildren, a sister and brother-in-law.

A visitation for Joseph will be held at St. James Catholic Church located 22800 Aldine Westfield Rd, Spring, TX 77373 Thursday, July 6, 2023 from 9:30 AM to 10:30 AM. Followed by a Funeral Service from 10:30 AM to 11:30 AM . A Committal Service will occur Thursday, July 6, 2023 from 12:30 PM to 1:00 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr, Houston, TX 77038.

In Lieu of flowers donations can be made to United Service Organization (USO) or a Charity of your choice.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.CalvaryHillFuneralHome.com for the Pyle family.

Biography

Joseph Rucker Pyle, Jr. was a modest man, quiet and observant in his ways. He was trustworthy and traditional in his approach to his life and in his relationships. He was tough-minded with the kind of “stick to it” attitude that earned the respect of all who knew him. He was also a man who was meticulous, carefully disciplined, and orderly in virtually everything he undertook. Realistic about life, he was always at the ready, prepared to take on responsibility.

His parents were Joseph R. Pyle, Sr., and Juanita Rayburne Pyle. The first 5 years of his life were spent in Virginia. His family moved to Bellaire, TX, and he lived most of his growing up years Bellaire. He was brought up to be self-confident and dependable. These were traits that would serve him well throughout his life.

He was always curious about the world around him and was often eager to explore it. Joseph played baseball and football in the streets with his neighborhood friends. He was a Boy Scout for several years. In his spare time he liked play outside with his friends, play with his toy soldiers, and play boardgames with his little sister.

While his teachers and even his friends generally thought of Joseph as being a serious person, he managed to have a pretty good time in high school as he made that critical transition from adolescence to adulthood. He graduated from Bellaire High School in 1963. His favorite class in high school was history. Joseph was a very logical person who enjoyed learning about factual information. Using his exceptional memory, he was able to learn much through observation and reading.

Always considered to be a solid friend, Joseph was fortunate to have numerous acquaintances and several very close friends during his life. Since he disliked making generalizations about people and preferred to draw his own conclusions based on direct observation, Joseph was able to see beneath the surface of relationships and became a true friend to those who knew him. He was committed to his friends and valued the trust he placed in them. It was not uncommon for Joseph to go beyond the call of duty for others, and friends frequently sought him out for advice because he had a knack for coming up with practical solutions to any type of dilemma. While growing up, some of his best friends were Tom Franks and Jimmy Cashman. Later in life, he became best friends with Gary Fegter and Roland Beard.

On December 18, 1976, Joseph exchanged wedding vows with Maria M. (Mini) Brown. They were initially married at a Harris County Court House in 1976. Later when Joe entered the Catholic Church, they were married at St. James Catholic Church on April 15, 2006. Compassionate and devoted to Mini, Joseph held endearing, traditional values about marriage and family life. He took the responsibility of marriage to heart, giving it his total commitment. He was a source of strength to Mini.

Joseph brought the same traditional values in his marriage to bear on how he raised his children. He was a good parent to them, always firm yet fair in his dealings. He would always listen carefully and think things through before he acted, even when it was an adverse situation. Joseph was blessed with three children and ten grandchildren.

Joseph greatly enjoyed what he did for a living and achevied his childhood dream of being a policeman. He was a hard worker who expected the same in return from his co-workers. His primary occupation was in law enforcement. He enjoyed it tremendously. He was employed at the Houston Police Department for 13 years. After that he and his partner, Roland Beard, had a successful polygraph business for several years. New government laws were passed that prevented the business from flourishing, so both Joe and Roland went to work for the Harris County Sheriff's Department. Due to health concerns, Joe retired from the Sheriff's Department in 2005.

Joseph was an Army veteran. He trained at Fort Gordon, Georgia, and became a Military Policeman. Joseph served in Vietnam for almost a year as a sentry dog handler, at times volunteering as a helicopter gunner. Through his hard work and dedication, he achieved the rank of Sargeant. He was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, Good Conduct Medal, Sharpshooter Rifle, Vietnam Service Medal with 2 Bronze Service Stars, Republic of Vietnam Campaign Medal with Device. A literal thinker who possessed a calm exterior, Joseph seemed to enjoy the routines set forth by the military. His results-oriented approach to things made him committed to the job, and he understood well his role in serving his country.

Joseph was an avid reader for most of his life. He enjoyed reading books on history, wars, guns, as well as action novels. He enjoyed target practice and fishing, although he didn't get to go fishing very often.

Joseph was a man who was dedicated and devoted to his faith. He was a member of St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Spring, TX, for approximately 26 years. During that time, he served in the Hospitality ministry for a couple of years until he became too ill to continue.

Joseph enjoyed traveling and taking vacations. Since he was an early starter and had a knack for planning everything, traveling with Joseph appeared effortless. He enjoyed researching all of his examined options and applying cost-effective planning techniques. His favorite vacation was when we went to the Bahamas one year. He got to go deep sea fishing. He didn't catch anything, but he came off the boat with the biggest smile on his face that Mini ever saw.

Joseph Rucker Pyle, Jr., passed away on June 24, 2023, at his home in Spring, TX. He is survived by his wife, three children, nine grandchildren, and his sister and brother-in-law. Services were held at St. James the Apostle Catholic Church in Spring, TX. Joseph was laid to rest at Houston National Cemetery.

Commitment is a key word that can be used to describe the life of Joseph Rucker Pyle, Jr. He was committed to living the life of a good man who was both practical and trustworthy. He was committed to the traditional values that he upheld his entire life. He committed himself to being a hard worker who expected the same effort in return from those around him. Most of all, he was committed to those he knew and loved.