Services for Jack T. Lamkin Jr., 76, are set for 11 a.m. Wednesday, May 4, at First United Methodist Church in Brownwood, with burial to follow in Greenleaf Cemetery. Davis-Morris Funeral Home is in charge of arrangements. Visitation with the family will be from 6 until 8 p.m. Tuesday, May 3 at the funeral home.
Jack died Saturday, April 30, 2011, in Brownwood.
He was born Feb. 12, 1935, in Brownwood, the son of Jack and Nita Lamkin. Jack graduated from Brownwood High School and earned his Bachelor of Science Degree in agricultural economics in 1957 from Texas A&M University. Jack was a proud Aggie all of his life.
He served in the United States Army stationed in Germany from 1957 until 1959. On July 26, 1956, he was married to Joan Baron in Brownwood. Jack worked in Brownwood for Lamkin Bros. Feed from 1959 until 1965. He and Joan moved to College Station for Jack to pursue his master’s degree at A&M, which he received in 1968.
Jack was employed with the Texas Transportation Institute in College Station from 1965 until 1990. Always an active community member and volunteer, Jack was involved in Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts of America and in the A&M United Methodist Church. He was a Mason in Brownwood and also College Station. In retirement, he and Joan moved to Marathon to serve as volunteers at Big Bend National Park where they contributed more than 10,000 volunteer hours. Jack and Joan are founding members of The Friends of Big Bend National Park and Jack spearheaded the drive to authorize a specialized license plate for Big Bend National Park for the State of Texas. In 1999, Jack and Joan were recognized for their contributions to the National Parks Service by the U.S. Department of the Interior.
Jack and Joan returned to Brownwood in 2006 and became actively involved in the Martin and Frances Lehnis Railroad Museum. Jack served as a founding board member and was the charter president for the advisory board and, since July of 2007, had volunteered 5,345 hours, the last seven of which were on Saturday. He and Joan were members at First United Methodist Church – Brownwood. He was also a member of the Brownwood Kiwanis Club.
Jack is survived by his wife of 54 years, Joan Baron Lamkin; son, Jack T. Lamkin III and his wife Robbie of Allen; and daughter, Lynne Benson and her husband Larry of San Antonio. Eight grandchildren also survive. They are Matthew, Jeffrey and Tyler Lamkin, Kelsey and Kendall Bales, and Michael, Jarred and Bailey Benson.
He was preceded in death by his brother Terry Lamkin and a sister, Bobbie Stewart.
Memorials may be made to Friends of Big Bend National Park, P.O. Box 200, Big Bend National Park, TX 79834-0200; The Martin and Frances Lehnis Museum, P.O. Box 1389; Brownwood, TX 76804; or First United Methodist Church of Brownwood, 2500 11th St., Brownwood, TX 76801.
