Michael William Lehr

Michael William Lehr, 89, passed into eternal life on January 17, 2019. Depending on the era you knew him, he was known as Michael, Mickey or Mike. He was born December 22, 1929 to Louisa Katherine Feist and George Joseph Lehr at the family farm in Wall. He was the youngest of five children, his mother died when he was two-weeks-old. He was taken in by his maternal aunt and her husband Betty Feist and John Mees, who had one son, Quentin. Mike’s father died when he was 3-years-old. Mike and the Mees family moved to Abilene during his early childhood years. He attended school in Abilene, except for one semester of his senior year when he went to Price College, a preparatory school in Amarillo, to play football. He returned to Abilene High in the spring where he was on the track team and graduated from AHS in 1948. He attended, what was then McMurry College on a track scholarship, dropping the scholarship after his first year to coach football and basketball at St. Joseph Catholic High School, where a life-long friendship with Johnny Brunson began. Mike graduated from McMurry in 1952. Later, he went on to earn a Master’s degree from McMurry. He married Sally Frances Owens in 1952. They moved to Christoval where Mike’s long career in education began as a teacher and coach. Mike’s oldest child, Richard Paul, was born in 1953 when they lived in Christoval. A career highlight from his time in Christoval was coaching football great Jack Pardee. Mike and Jack stayed in touch throughout the years. Following his tenure at Christoval he went on to teach and coach at Eola High School. He would fondly recall during his time at Eola taking the Eola football team by bus to watch Baylor play in Waco. From Eola his career took him to the San Angelo ISD, it was during that transition the family moved to the Wall farm. It was at this time he began his many years of farming, when he wasn’t working in public education. He would tell a story of hiring a teacher while plowing in the field, the young teacher had tracked Mike down to the field and from there a friendship with John Tankersley was formed to last for years. Mike’s first job in the SAISD was serving as a PE teacher at Glenmore and Belaire Elementary schools. In 1957 he moved to Travis Elementary as a head teacher and upon receiving his administrator’s certificate in the summer of 1958 he became principal of Travis. His son, Michael Alan, was born in 1958 and daughter Susan Elizabeth was born in 1961. After many years at Travis he became principal of Bowie Elementary and then John Glenn Jr. High. While he was principal at Glenn, he had a school business trip to Washington D.C. with many other principals. While in DC he had the pleasure of meeting First Lady Pat Nixon, somehow in the course of their conversation Mike extended a job offer to the Nixons’ daughter Julie, who was then a college student pursuing a degree in education. The AP picked up the story and the news that a Texas principal offered Julie Nixon Eisenhower a job made a few of the country’s newspapers! The job offer garnered Mike a thank-you letter written by Mrs. Nixon regarding the job offer.

In the summer of 1971 he accepted a position with Austin ISD as assistant director of special programs. His first grandchild, John Richard Lehr, was born in January of 1972 and on September 6, 1974 he married Francine Lydia Straach. On a business trip to Dallas, Mike was in his hotel and made the acquaintance of Olympic gold-medalist Jesse Owens. Mr. Owens invited Mike to have a drink or two and at the end of the evening Mike asked Mr. Owens to give him a call if was ever in Austin. Mr. Owens made it to Austin and gave Mike a call! Mr. Owens, at Mike’s invitation, visited many of East Austin’s schools that day. Mike was one of the founders and first president of the Association for Compensatory Educators of Texas an organization that exists to meet the educational needs of students in at risk situations across the state of Texas, today it boasts 800 members. In 1975 he took a leave of absence from the AISD to serve as a legislative aide to State Representative and good friend Tom Massey, who was chair of the House Education Committee. In addition, he served Rep. Massey and former House Speaker Billy Clayton on a special committee regarding public school finance. His tenure with AISD saw many promotions and upon retiring in 1985 he was the district’s executive director of personnel. Following retirement from the AISD he did contract work for the Texas Association of School Boards and in 1987 he became the legislative coordinator for the Texas Retired Teachers Association, a volunteer position he held even after he became the organization’s executive director in 1994. While serving as legislative coordinator for the TRTA he was instrumental in seeing that a piece of legislation passed that would provide a pay raise for many retired teachers in Texas, most of whom had never seen a pay increase in their retirement, this increase in pay was instituted over four legislative sessions. Mike received numerous thank you letters from retired teachers across the state for the increase in pay. In honor of that effort, Mike was recognized in the House, the Senate and in then Governor George W. Bush’s office, at each ceremony a photo was taken, Governor Bush was also in the photos. Finally, at the end of the day in the final photo Governor Bush looked at Mike and said, “How many times do I have to have my picture taken with you today?” Mike thoroughly loved to recall that story! He retired from TRTA in 2003, at his retirement he was recognized for his tireless work helping all retired teachers in Texas by both the House and the Senate. In addition, the TRTA named him executive director emeritus to honor his work.

Mike and Francine moved to Taylor in 1993 to be closer to their Williamson county farm. Never one to let grass grow under his feet, Mike tried his hand at city government by getting elected to serve as a Taylor city councilman. In addition, he was president of the Williamson County Farm Bureau and the Greater Taylor Area Community Farm Bureau for many years. In 2006 Mike and Francine moved to Miles, TX to live in Francine’s childhood home. These were sweet years where they got to attend many of their grandchildren’s activities and events. In recent years they made their home at the Rio Concho West retirement community.

Mike was preceded in death by his mother, father, Aunt Betts and Uncle John Mees and his cousin Quentin Mees. Also, brother Emmitt Lehr, sisters Alleen Williams, Virginia Kemp and Dorothy Herman. Also, his firstborn grandchild, John. In addition, his mother and father-in-law, Wallie and Reimer Straach, niece Elizabeth Williams, and nephews Kenny Herman and Paul Salvato.

He is survived by his wife of 44 years, Francine, son Richard, his wife Margaret; son Alan, his wife Jackie, all of Odessa; daughter Susan Gober, husband Dwain of San Angelo. In addition, granddaughter Ellen Lehr Smith and husband Shawn and their daughter, his only great-grandchild, Finley Kyle Smith of Odessa; grandsons Grant Alan Lehr of Odessa and William James Gober and granddaughter, Abigail Frances Gober, both of Waco. His sister-in-law Barbara Straach Salvato of San Angelo and her children Angela Lee, husband Patrick of Murphy and Steven Salvato, wife Julie and their children Luke and Jenna of Lampasas. In addition, he is survived by numerous nieces, nephews, great-nieces and great-nephews scattered throughout Texas and the U.S.

There will be a visitation Saturday, January 19, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m. at Johnson’s Funeral Home. A celebration of his life, officiated by the Rev. Stan Whites, will take place at Sierra Vista United Methodist Church on Sunday, January 20, 2019 at 3:00 p.m., with burial following at the Miles Cemetery. Memorial gifts can be sent to the Lehr-Pritchard Endowment Fund through the Texas Retired Teachers Foundation, the fund was established to meet the needs of retired educators experiencing critical emergencies. You may donate on-line at trtf.org or via mail: Texas Retired Teachers Foundation 313 E. 12th St. Ste. 220 Austin, TX 78701.

The family would like to express its appreciation for the wonderful care given by Sue Lira and to Interim Healthcare Hospice and New Haven Assisted Living for the care and concern they gave Mike. Also, a special thank you to his nephew Stuart Lehr and wife Deanna for their many visits, often bringing Sunday lunch to Francine and Mike.