John Overstreet Spice

John Overstreet Spice, age 80, died peacefully October 21, 2011. He was born January 9, 1931, in San Antonio. John's family included his mother, Hallie Overstreet Spice and William Henry Spice, Jr. of San Antonio, his sister Susan Frost Spice Buckley of Houston and San Antonio, brother in law Charles Anthony "Tony" Buckley, deceased, and his nephew Reagan Langford Buckley of Houston. In addition, John is survived by his beloved and most loyal chocolate Labrador, Bear.

John grew up in San Antonio and attended Jefferson High School, graduating in 1948. He attended Dartmouth College, and received a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology from Southern Methodist University where he was a member of Delta Kappa Epsilon. In 1954 he earned a Masters Degree in Geology from the University of Texas at Austin. After graduation John was employed as a Petroleum Geologist by Phillips Petroleum in Midland, Texas. After four years he became an Independent Geologist covering the Midland area.

In 1960 John built his rst home in Midland, Texas. For landscaping, John utilized non-native tropical plants with which he had become familiar during trips to California. The Midlanders took to John's landscaping choices and John decided to pursue a career in landscape architecture, earning license no. 143, in the first class of licensed landscape architects in the state of Texas August 31, 1970. In the early sixties John purchased a small landscape business in Midland, which ultimately grew into the first "Los Patios," which specialized as a landscape nursery and retail shop.

John is probably best known for the creation of the San Antonio horticultural, dining and shopping institution, Los Patios, a 20 acre complex of shops, gardens, restaurants and banquet venues located on the banks of Salado Creek. In addition to Los Patios remaining a thriving business to this day John, joined in the early years by his mother, Hallie Spice, created a work culture that has retained many of its key employees for generations. John's migration from petroleum geology to landscape architecture reflected his essential nature as an environmentalist and naturalist. His leadership at Los Patios spanned 30 years as a direct owner and operator and as consultant and founder emeritus to the current owners since 1998. Despite his sometimes demanding nature, the staff at Los Patios respected and loved John for his consistent dedication to the business and his sensitivity to maintaining the diverse, natural environment it occupies. John will be remembered fondly by the staff at Los Patios.

John, an Anglophile at heart, also had numerous business interests in England during his career. The purchase of Landbase, Ltd., a Hertford based real estate development company, the acquisition of Poles, a Catholic girl's school later converted to Hanbury Manor, a world class hotel/resort/golf club, were his largest endeavors. The project closest to his heart, however, was the discovery and development of Great House, a 14th century home on the market square in Lavenham, U.K., often referred to as "England's finest medieval town". Now owned and operated by his dear friends, Regis and Martine Crepy, as an award winning restaurant with rooms, his original vision is to this day well represented and constantly refined.

For many years John maintained a second residence in Longmelford, U.K. adjacent to Trinity Church, the home parish of the Clopton family, which John discovered through genealogical research. John Clopton, a nearly descendant of John's biological father, John Hales Compton of San Antonio and the Texas Valley area was the architect and chief builder of Trinity Church, Longmelford in 1484.

In lieu of owers, donations may be made to the National Parkinson Foundation. Please visit www.parkinson.org for contribution directions.

A memorial will be held to scatter John's ashes along the banks of Salado Creek at Los Patios, 2015 NE Loop 410, on Tuesday, November 1st at 4 p.m.