Edward Boyd Jennings

Edward Boyd Jennings of San Angelo, TX went to be with the Lord on Monday February 1, 2021 at the age of 77 years old. Ed was born on June 18, 1943 in Fort Worth, TX to Treat and Holland Jennings. Ed was the youngest of five children. He grew up and attended school in the big city of Norton, TX where he graduated from high school in 1961. Following graduation, Ed moved to Lubbock, TX where he attended Texas Tech University. While attending school at Tech, Ed lived with his brother, Bill, who was an engineer in a steel fabrication plant in Lubbock. Bill helped him get a part-time job in the plant, initially as a steel cutter, and later as a steel fitter. During this time Ed met Chrystal Faye Seals, and after a brief courtship of only 3 months, they married on November 28, 1964.

In 1965 Ed was promoted to steel detailer in the same company he started to work for only four years prior. The following year he was drafted into the U.S. Army. Thanks to the timely arrival of his favorite (and only) daughter, Rhonda, on September 25, 1967, his orders for Viet Nam were rescinded and he served the remainder of his time in the Army state side until his release in 1968. For the following eight years Ed worked as a steel detailer for three different steel companies, one in Waco, one in Abilene, and finally for Hirschfeld Steel Company right here in San Angelo, TX. While at Hirschfeld Steel Company, Ed was promoted to project manager where he worked for eight years until he opened his own business, Jennings Drafting, in 1981. Ed quickly gained the reputation of producing work of exceptional quality and soon was bidding jobs for steel companies all over the state. Ed worked to train other employees in steel detailing and also frequently contracted work out to other steel detailers when the work load was too heavy. He always said that he liked to keep his business small, so that he could keep his hand in the steel detailing, rather than just in the administration. Although his business may have been small, he certainly had a hand in some sizeable projects such as the Spur Arena in Midland, countless school districts across the state, and even the Glen Meadows Baptist Church building.

Ed was an exceptional businessman. He always said that when you love your career, you will never work a day in your life. Ed definitely enjoyed his career and marveled almost daily that God would allow a humble farmer’s child from a small town like Norton, TX to be so blessed. Ed believed that loyalty, customer service, and producing a quality product were the foundation of his business. He valued keeping his word and fulfilling his obligations. Ed was an honest man with a good work ethic who believed that his integrity was paramount to his bank account. It was this sense of dependability and commitment that determined his success.

Ed was a man of faith and loved being active in his church. He attended church at Grace Temple Baptist Church, Park Heights Baptist Church, and also Glen Meadows Baptist Church. Ed was honored to serve as a deacon at Park Heights Baptist Church and Glen Meadows Baptist Church. He loved teaching Sunday School and taught classes to all ages including elementary age boys, high school boys, a men’s class of his peers, and even helped Rhonda teach in a preschool class for one year.

Ed loved being around people and never met a stranger. He enjoyed having coffee with a group of his friends at McDonalds each and every morning and had a standing lunch date on Wednesdays with his friends from church for many years. He loved to laugh and always had a joke, or maybe two, to share. He was a sports fan and loved cheering for his favorite teams, the Central Bobcats, Dallas Cowboys, and San Antonio Spurs.

Of all of his favorite things, however, Ed cherished his family the most. Ed was a loving husband, father, and Grandy. Ed loved spending time with his granddaughters, Emily, Abby Grace, and Abby Claire. He looked forward to weekly date nights with “them girls” which were sure to include any activity of their choosing. Rhonda, was an only child until he met and married Ann Hays in November 2003 and his family grew to include another daughter, Kelly, and granddaughter, Abby Claire. Ed was especially fond of his son-in-law, Dennis, and although he was his only son-in-law, Ed always enjoyed referring to him as his favorite. Ed welcomed a grandson-in-law into his family in December 2019 when Emily married Harry Lofton.

Ed was preceded in death by his parents, Treat and Holland Jennings, a brother, Bill Jennings, two sisters, Nell Pittman and Dorothy Rusk, two brother-in-laws, John Rusk and Tommy McCulloch, a sister-in-law, Glenda Hollabaugh, and a nephew, Johnny Rusk.

He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Rhonda and Dennis Turpin of Victoria, a granddaughter, Abby Turpin of Victoria, granddaughter, Emily Lofton and her husband Harry Lofton of Austin, Ann Hays of Ballinger, Kelly Hays of San Angelo, and Abby Claire Trimble of Corpus Christi. He is also survived by his brother Jim Jennings and his wife Diane of San Angelo, sister-in-law, Oleta Jennings of Hurst, brother-in-law, Jerry Pittman, sister-in-law Doris McCulloch of Coleman, and 17 nieces and nephews.

The family would like to say a special word of thanks to all of the staff at the Baptist Retirement Community who so graciously and diligently cared for him during his stay at the Henley-Maybee Apartment High-rise, The Crest, and the Tally Cottage. Special thanks are also offered to Ed’s physician, Dr. Roberta Hinshaw.

A visitation will be held on Thursday February 4, 2021at 6:00 pm at Johnson’s Funeral Home. Funeral services will be held at Glen Meadows Baptist Church on Friday February 5, 20201 at 1:00 pm. The family would like to welcome anyone who feels comfortable attending in person, however, they also respect limitations resulting from the Covid-19 pandemic, and will provide streaming of the funeral service through Facebook live for anyone unable to attend in person.

In lieu of flowers, the family would invite you to make a memorial donation in Ed’s name to Glen Meadows Baptist Church or the West Texas Boys Ranch.