James Leroy Peacock

James Leroy Peacock passed away on the evening of December 27, 2015 at 95 years of age. He was born on August 19, 1920 in Macon, Georgia to Joel Abe and Rachel Peacock. Leroy, as most people knew him, was the oldest of seven children. He was born into a poor family at a difficult time in history, but it was a loving and secure family. As young as six years old he went to work selling newspapers to help support the family and worked hard all his life to continue in that duty. While growing up in Georgia he held many jobs including newsboy, delivery boy, messenger boy for Western Union, soda jerk and many more. He proudly attended Lanier High School in Macon, Georgia.

While working behind the counter at the Krystal restaurant he met the love of his life Dorothy Holland Johnson. The first time he saw her he fell in love and so began a relationship of 76 years. Their first encounter involved him teasing her by squeezing shut the paper straw he put in her soda so that she couldn’t drink it. She left in a huff, but he raced to beat her home and was sitting on her doorstep when she arrived. So began a tumultuous relationship that would last a lifetime. He told others the first day he saw her: “I am going to marry that girl someday.” Their teasing, confrontational, and intense love affair never subsided, they enjoyed that style of interaction until the day he passed. They were married on April 4, 1942 in Washington, D.C. and there never was a more beautiful couple than they were, including any movie stars of the era.

As did many young men of his generation, Leroy entered the Army in 1942 to defend his country. After enlistment he joined the Army Air Corp and became a fighter pilot. Because he was able to graduate in the top of his flight training, he was assigned to become a flight instructor. He took great pride in making his students the absolute best pilots possible and he made certain they were prepared for the realities of aerial combat.

As a flight instructor he was assigned to training pilots in a new program, known now as the Tuskegee Airmen. He was both loved and respected by his students who went on to accomplish great things during their service in World War II. Having been from a poor segment of the deep south, Leroy, had suffered discrimination himself. He believed that it was terribly unfair that men, who were willing to fight and die for their country, were discriminated against because of their skin color. He was very proud of the fact that he had played a role in giving the airmen an opportunity to prove their abilities and to stand up to unfair prejudice. All of his life he spoke of his students and his experience in training the Tuskegee Airmen with great pride.

Leroy left the Army after the war and immediately went to work. He continued his love of flying so he enlisted in the Airforce Reserves until he finally discharged 1955.

In 1946 Leroy and Dorothy moved to Houston, Texas to begin a new post war life together. Like all the young men after the war he wanted to find work and start a family. He had heard there were opportunities to make a good living in Texas, so like so many men throughout history, he headed to the Lone Star State. Leroy is the classic example of the American “self-made man”. He bought an army surplus truck and a ladder and came to Houston looking for work. He would drive around looking for homes that needed some repairs and knock on the door. He would ask if they needed their house painted or their gutters cleaned or their roof fixed. Eventually he couldn’t do all the work alone, so he hired a man to help him. After a while he bought a second truck and hired more men to work. Over the years he expanded his business to include several crews of workmen that went out every day. He owned Peacock Painters and Roofers for over 60 years and was a founder and owner of Desco Coatings of Houston and Todco Coatings of Houston. Through hard work, determination and sacrifice, Leroy was able to become a successful businessman with a nice home, new cars and the ability to provide well for himself and his family. On June 5, 1947 he and Dorothy had their first of three children. His beloved firstborn was his daughter Georgia Garnette Peacock. She was the apple of his eye and for five years was the spoiled only child. Garnette was a determined little girl which she remained all her life. Since they were both strong willed they butted heads throughout their relationship, but they always loved each other intensely.

On April 5, 1952 Leroy and Dorothy welcomed their first of two sons to the world, James Leroy Peacock, Jr. He was the spitting image of his father. They were cut from the same mold and the similarities between them were significant. Leroy and Junior both liked to work with their hands and at times in their childhoods were each sometimes the bad boy. They had a knack for getting in trouble in school and in their early grades they seldom applied themselves. However, their teachers always liked them as the loveable scamps they were. Eventually both of them found motivation to prove their real abilities. Leroy became a serious hard working kid in high school and thereafter for the rest of his life. Leroy Jr. found his motivation in the promise that, if he did well in school, he would get a motorcycle that he dreamed of owning. Just like his father, when confronted with a goal he applied himself and made excellent grades to convince his parents to give him his dream motorbike. The greatest tragedy of the Peacock family was the death of Leroy Jr. on his motorbike at 14 years of age. His memory dominated both Dorothy’s and Leroy’s thoughts for all the years thereafter.

The second son of the family was born on November 1, 1954. Jimmy Lee Peacock was the fortunate beneficiary of the love and wisdom of his parents. Although the family’s relationship was tumultuous after the loss of Leroy, Jr., Jim never doubted the love, devotion, and respect he received from his parents. Leroy and Dorothy have always been proud of Jim as a good man and for all his accomplishments in life. In his later years Leroy and Jim were closer than ever. Jim is very proud that his father relied on him and trusted him to take care of things as Leroy declined in older age. The very last word that Leroy said to his son was “Thanks”.

James Leroy Peacock lived a full life. In his time there was both great happiness and great tragedy. He is an iconic example of the great American that started from poverty and through hard work and sacrifice obtained success in life. His greatest successes, however, were not monetary. He is most noteworthy for the friendships he developed in life. The foremost of those was his beloved wife. He, however, made friends wherever he went. For many years he was a regular at the Avalon Drugstore for breakfast. Everyone knew him and he would spend hours visiting with numerous friends over a meal. He couldn’t just sit and eat, he had to get up and visit with all his friends as they came and went. Later in the day he would frequent the Cleburne cafeteria where he never finished a meal because he was always so busy bouncing from table to table talking to just about everybody that came in. He truly loved the food there.

In the last quarter of his life he discovered the hobby he had never had… Golf. It was comical to see him during the early years throwing his clubs in the lake or bending them around a tree with frustration. But that caricature didn’t last for long. As with anything else he set his mind to, he became a good golfer. Eventually he reaped the rewards of a lifetime of hard work and was able to participate in the hobby that he loved, at a beautiful country club, Braeburn. He was somewhat famous, if not infamous for winning tournaments, a feat he was very proud of. He played with Marvin Zindler, Harold Wiesenthal, and numerous other noteworthy Houstonians. He continued to play at Kingwood Country Club, well into his 90’s (that’s years not score). Many will remember Leroy from his ever present bolo tie with a gold and diamond Peacock. No matter where he went he stood out with distinction.

How do you sum up such a long and full life? What must be said, is that James Leroy Peacock was a good man. He was honest, hardworking, loyal and kind. He could be hard, but he was also gentle. He will be missed by all that knew him.

Leroy is preceded in death by his father, Joel Abe Peacock, mother, Rachel Howell Peacock, brother, Floyd Cecil Peacock, sisters Lois Rittenburg, and Lillian Kelly, his beloved daughter and son, Georgia Garnette Peacock and James Leroy Peacock, Jr. He is survived by his loving wife Dorothy Holland Peacock and their son Jimmy Lee Peacock (Jim), and by his sisters Ruth Johnston and Sandra Summers, and brother, George Ronnie Peacock, numerous nieces, nephews, grandchildren, great grandchildren, and great great grandchildren.