John Allen Dubberley III

John Dubberley died on August 19, 2022, in Naples, Florida, after a very fulfilling 96 years. Bigger than life in many ways, John was born to John II and Luzon Dubberley in Baird, Texas — a state he always claimed as home, despite living many of his years in Indiana and Florida. He was predeceased by his parents, wife Bette, brother Jack and grandson’s mother Karen. He is survived by wife Sandy, children and their spouses Jad (Beth), Diane (Tom) Richards and David (Gena), grandson Ben, cousin Billy Evans, his extended family and great friends. After early years in Vernon, Texas, the family moved to Lubbock, where John graduated from Lubbock High School in 1943. His education at Texas Tech was interrupted by World War II when he was drafted in 1944. Assigned to the anti-tank squad, served at Ft. Douglas, Ft. Ord and Ft. Bliss. He received the Army Commendation Medal as a PFC in 1945. At the University of Texas, he joined the Air Force ROTC; upon completing that program, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant, Air Force Reserve. At the University of Texas he pledged Phi Kappa Psi (as anyone who ever met him knew). He graduated in 1950 and worked as the west Texas representative for the National Infantile Paralysis Foundation for two years before joining Haggar Slacks. After marrying another Texas native, Bette Buchanan, in February 1954 during a dust storm in Perryton, Texas, he took over Haggar’s Indiana territory. John and Bette settled in Lafayette, Indiana, where they raised their children. In 1975, after 22 years with Haggar, he retired to concentrate on Hawke Oil, an ongoing Texas concern that he and longtime friend Ed Antle started with their first well in 1965. After Bette died in 1997, John eventually moved to Naples, Florida, where he met and married Sandy Schlenck Manzler in 2002. For several years, John and Sandy spent summer months in Cincinnati, Ohio, enjoying family, friends and the Kenwood Country Club. Winters in Naples included many family celebrations at Christmas and for birthdays and spring breaks. John enjoyed movies from the golden age, football, basketball and golf, memorably shooting a hole-in-one at hole number 2 at Lafayette Country Club, when all members were alerted to come drink on his tab. He was a great storyteller and wrote poems and a sales guide, and we honor his claims that he looked like Cary Grant and moved like Fred Astaire. A celebration of life will take place in Naples in January 2023.