Marion O’Neal Lummus 1939-2019 Neal entered into this world on April 16, 1939 and arrived in Heaven on December 18, 2019.
At Neal’s request, his memorial with be merged with Jimmie Lou’s in the Colorado Rockies at a later date. In lieu of flowers, donations may made in Neal’s honor at Azle Animal Shelter, 724 Oak Park Street, Azle, Texas 76020, The Salvation Army, or the Shriners Hospital for Children, three of his favorite charities.
Neal was born in Groesbeck, Texas where he spent many happy summers on his grandparents’ farm, after the family moved to Houston during his early childhood. Neal attended C.E. King High School before joining the United States Air Force in 1956. He worked in missile technology, specializing in the Minuteman Missiles, eventually becoming a nuclear weapons technician. He retired from the Air Force in 1976.After retiring, he taught for one year at Lincoln Technical Institute in Dallas, Texas. In 1978 he began a 20-year career with Motorola, Inc., retiring in 1998. With Motorola’s closure, he worked at Sprint for four years, until he was old enough to finally retire for good.
Neal met the love of his life, Jimmie Lou Pennington, at her church’s revival in White Settlement in 1958. They married on October 17, 1959 at Carswell Air Force Base Chapel. They began a lifelong adventure travelling the world and the United States including such places as Guam, Fort Worth, Oklahoma, England (where daughter Wendy was born in 1962), Cheyenne, Wyoming (where daughters Dusty and Misty were born in 1964 & 1965), Turkey, Maine, Virginia, and finally in 1976 retired to Poolville, Texas. The couple celebrated their 60th Wedding Anniversary on October 17, 2019 with a visit back to the chapel at Carswell Air Force Base where they had married.
Neal was a long-time resident of Poolville and is a member at First Baptist Church Azle. He was a Master Mason and member of Julian Field No. 908, having earned his 50-year pin. He was a devout Christian with a wonderful sense of humor who was deeply devoted to his family. He was a true life-long learner, even taking a college geology class with his daughter while in his 70s. His quest for knowledge was unending. Neal was preceded in death by his parents, Marion Clinton and Ina Thomas Lummus, sisters Wanda and Jean, and brother Bill. Neal is survived by his wife of 60 years, Jimmie Lou Lummus of Poolville; daughters Wendy and husband Sandy West of Azle, Dusty and husband Tony Dunlap of Azle, Misty and husband Tom Abaray of Rainbow. Six grandchildren and eight great grandchildren. Sister Shirley Sansom of Decatur, AL, sister in law Mary Kay Pennington of Glen Rose, and many loving extended family and friends.