Joe Nathan Vaughan

1945 - 2015

Joe Nathan Vaughan, 70, passed away the evening of Thursday, Sept. 24, 2015, due to lung cancer. Memorial service: A memorial for Joe will be held at 3:30 p.m. Saturday, Oct. 3, in Greenwood Chapel. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, donations to the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital for Children in Dallas would be appreciated. Joe lived an amazing and fulfilling life. He was raised in Liberty, Okla., and throughout his life kept those small-town family values. After graduation from high school, Joe worked briefly for Southern Pacific Railroad. He enlisted in the United States Air Force in 1963, he served as a jet engine technician at Reese AFB in Texas, Hickam AFB in Hawaii, Castle AFB in California, U-Tapao RTAFB in Thailand, Tyndall AFB in Florida and Carswell AFB. While stationed at Castle AFB as the NCOIC of Small Turbine Repair, Joe received a spot promotion to staff sergeant by the 15th Air Force Commander in recognition and development of highly complex test equipment. At Carswell AFB, as a jet engine specialist, he was credited with $545,000 resource conservation savings dealing with Crested Dove B-52D aircraft. Joe crosstrained and became first sergeant of the Base Hospital at Carswell AFB. He was also first sergeant of the hospital at Plattsburgh AFB, N.Y., where in 1982 he was selected as the base First Sergeant of the Year. Joe received many medals during his Air Force career, including two Meritorious Service Medals, two Air Force Commendation Medals, and a Humanitarian Service Medal for his actions during the 1979 Wichita Falls tornado disaster. Honorably discharged in 1983 after 20 years of military service, he moved his family to Saginaw. Beginning a second career as an automotive collision instructor for Tarrant County Junior College, he taught for 21 years until his retirement in 2007. While teaching at the college, Joe was nominated twice for the Chancellor's Award for Exemplary Teaching, winning it in 1996. Joe served in numerous positions at the college, including chairman of the Faculty Association on the South Campus and coordinator of the Great Teacher's Seminar for TCC. Joe was a Master Mason and member of the Scottish Rite. He was an avid fisherman and loved being in his bass boat on Eagle Mountain Lake. Joe was also a superb musician and played guitar, steel guitar, dobro, mandolin and the harmonica. He spent many hours creating and building various items and thought one of the highest praises he received was "He can fix anything." Joe touched many lives during his service in the military and at the college, but none more than those of his loving family. He was respected and loved by many and will be dearly missed. Survivors: His wife of 34 years, Ivy; his son, Chris Vaughan and his wife, Kim, and their daughter, Jordyn; his son, Shawn Munro and his wife, Sarah; his son, Joel Vaughan and his children, JJ and Allison; his brother, John Vaughn and his wife, Joyce; his sister, Blanche Houston; and numerous nieces and nephews.