Texas Mcneely Call

Texas McNeely Call (91) passed away peacefully in Austin, Texas on Friday, November 19, 2021, following a series of sudden strokes. Born in Rockford, Illinois on February 26, 1930, to Everett Carter Call and Emma Gertrude McNeely Call, he resided for most of his life in Vidor, Texas, where in eighth grade he met his life-long sweetheart Norma Jean Henderson. On August 16, 1947, while both were only 17 years old, they were united in marriage with their parents’ consent. Most of their married life was spent in Vidor, where Norma taught fourth grade and Tex was employed at the Firestone petrochemical plant in nearby Orange.
After retiring in 1989, Tex and Norma moved to the Central Texas community of Wimberley, where they lived blissfully in Paradise Hills for over 22 years before moving in 2012 to a retirement community in Austin, Texas to be near family. While in Wimberley, Tex attended First Baptist Church and enjoyed helping Norma landscape their beautiful Hill Country yard with native plants. He loved watching and feeding birds, deer, and various other native wildlife. He also enjoyed collecting Lionel trains, old tools of all kinds, and Texaco memorabilia at the local Market Days. Tex will be remembered as a friendly good-humored Christian man with a bit of a stubborn streak who drove a hard bargain and had a talent for “fixing things”. In addition to Norma Jean, his devoted wife of 74 years, Tex leaves behind his daughter Nancy and son-in-law Tony Budet of Austin, Texas; his granddaughter Erin Greenwood and her husband Robert, daughter Sydney and son Weston, all of Buda, Texas; his granddaughter Jaclyn Wilson, her husband Jason and daughter Wren of Waxahachie, Texas; and two sisters-in-law, Marion Travillo of Vidor, Texas and Amber Gardner of Indianola, Mississippi. Tex is also mourned by numerous loving nieces and nephews and their families including James and Karen Travillo of Oxford, Mississippi; Collette and Bob Berry of Vidor, Texas; Giovanna and Charles Ross of Lindale, Texas; Howard and Anita Henderson of Ore City, Texas; Suzanne and Dennis Mitchell of Longview, Texas; Jay and Lynn Henderson of Longview, Texas; Melinda Hathaway of Longview, Texas; Polly Pieroni of Lake Village, Arkansas; David Call of Vidor, Texas; and Lisa Call. Tex was preceded in death by his son Robert Edgar Call (1949-1952), and daughter Patricia “Patti” Darlene Call (1960-1978) and brother Everett Charles “Charlie” Call.