John D. Petty

John D. Petty died on Wednesday, July 23, 2015. He was 95. John was born in Crockett, Texas on Texas Independence Day, March 2, 1920, the youngest of 13 children born to William Petty and Cora Jane McClain. A product of the Great Depression and also the Greatest Generation, he left Crockett at the age of 16 for a promised job in San Antonio to help support his family.

In 1942 as war raged around the world, John volunteered for military service. He qualified for and enrolled in Naval Flight School. He graduated in January of 1944 and transferred to the Marines, where he flew F4U Corsair fighters in the Pacific, participating in the Okinawa campaign. Later he flew many strikes over the Southern Japanese islands, encountering horrendous ground fire as they prepared for the imminent invasion. He earned four air medals, two gold stars and a distinguished flying cross along with a Presidential Unit Citation. He many times observed that if the US had never dropped the Atomic Bomb, he would have never survived the war to meet the love of his life. Fortunately they did and he did and he met and married Betty Jean Timberlake in 1947. Through lean hard times and many good times, they always put family first and shared 68 years together.

John and Betty started a family, and John and his brother Cliff started a company under an old mesquite tree called Petty Brothers Welding. Children were born, a business was slowly built, and in April 1952, John was unwillingly drafted back into the military for the Korean War. He was reinstated as a Captain in the Marines and trained student pilots in Pensacola Florida. He did his duty and served honorably as the patriot he was, but he never quite forgave the military for blowing his life up like that.

After returning home, he and his brother continued building Petty Brothers which eventually evolved into the current business, Alamo Welding & Boiler Works. The company they built continues today, now owned and operated by John's son Jack.

John had many interests. He loved the outdoors and the land. He owned a ranch in Atascosa County and built many enduring friendships in the community. He loved hunting and ranching, but above all he loved his family and was always there when they needed a helping hand. He could dominate the room with his character, and in many ways he was just larger than life.

John is survived by his beloved wife, Betty; his daughter Joan Polk and her husband Mike Polk; his daughter Carolyn Cummings and her husband Gene Cummings; and his son Jack Petty and his wife Patricia Lotspeich Petty. Another daughter, Liz McCann, passed away in 2010. John also leaves behind grandchildren Wade, John, Lacey and Bailey; great-grandchildren Tori, JJ (John Jackson), Ruby and Tabitha; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins; countless friends and his beloved ranch dog, Sally.

The family would like to offer special thanks to Hortencia Contreras for the love and care she bestowed on John and his family in the final years of his life, and to the ladies of All County Home Care and Hospice and Nurse Next Door for the attentive care given during a very difficult time.

Visitation will be held on Tuesday, July 28th from 7:00 PM to 9:00 PM at Porter Loring on McCullough.

On Wednesday, July 29th, a Funeral Service will be held at 10:00am in the chapel at Porter Loring on McCullough in San Antonio. Burial will be in Ft. Sam Houston National Cemetery.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to Marine Toys for Tots www.toysfortots.org or Marine Toys for Tots Foundation, 18251 Quantico Gateway Dr., Triangle, VA 22172 or The American Cancer Society, www.cancer.org or American Cancer Society, P. O. Box 22718, Oklahoma City, OK 72123-1718, or a charity of your choice.