John William Roach

John William "Big John" Roach passed away peacefully on Monday, Sept. 26, 2016, surrounded by family. Service: Mass of Christian Burial, 10 a.m. Saturday at St. Rita Catholic Church. Visitation: 6 to 8 p.m. Friday, with rosary beginning at 7 p.m. at Thompson's Harveson & Cole. Interment at a later date. Big John was a proud Fort Worth native, but spent some childhood years in Longview, where his father was a railroad man. Exceptionally bright, he entered school at age 5 and moved quickly, heading to his beloved TCU on a music scholarship at age 15. Leaving the pre-med program early, he found a job at the first business he came to, Binswanger Glass Co. "Johnny" began sweeping floors and ended as Vice-President 44 years later, having traveled the world. After retiring, he dedicated countless hours to the Code Blue COPs Program, patrolling his neighborhood, and staying involved in local school academic programs. He loved family gatherings, never forgot a birthday, and was especially generous each Christmas. You couldn't beat him at crosswords or trivia, as his knowledge level was phenomenal, and he never, ever wanted to stop learning. He loved politics and stirred it up at every opportunity. John always had a story to tell and could keep your attention for hours, whether you liked it or not. He was truly one of a kind and will be sorely missed, more than he could ever know. Survivors: Loving wife, Nita; children, Mike Reynolds (Mary), Steve Reynolds (Marcia), Kathleen Norris (Robert), Kris Reynolds (Aili) and Cynthia Robinson (Bill); grandchildren, Robert, Molly, Heather, Spencer, Valerie and Lexie; 13 great-grandchildren; he also counted Judi, Bevan, and Quianna as family.