Joseph Michael Myers

1924 - 2006

Joseph Michael Myers, 81, a retired special agent of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, passed away Thursday, July 27, 2006.

Visitation: The family will receive friends at 4 p.m. Tuesday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole Funeral Home, where a vigil service will begin at 5 p.m. A memorial mass will be celebrated in his birthplace, Laurel, Miss., at a later date. Burial will be held in Arlington National Cemetery.

Memorials: His memory may be honored with a gift to the Myers Family Foundation, P.O. Box 1714, Fort Worth 76101.

Joseph was born Nov. 23, 1924, in Laurel, Miss., to the late Grover Cleveland and Annie Venezia Myers. He served as a B-29 gunnery instructor in the United States Army Air Corps from 1943-1946 and met his wife, Virginia Meadows Myers, while serving in the military in Boca Raton, Fla. They were married Dec. 8, 1946, in Laurel, Miss.

Mr. Myers graduated from Jones County Junior College with a pre-law degree in 1947. He continued his education while beginning his career in the FBI. He was awarded his juris doctor degree from Catholic University in 1951. While attending law school Joseph worked as an administrative aide in Mr. J. Edgar Hoover's office.

As a special agent for the Federal Bureau of Investigation, he was assigned to Washington, D.C., Gary and Indianapolis, Ind., Dallas and Fort Worth. Mr. Myers worked on numerous high-profile cases, including the 1963 John F. Kennedy assassination and the Mack Charles Parker case in 1959.

Mr. Myers continued his education throughout his career and received a master's of public administration from Texas Christian University in 1972. He taught at numerous FBI specialized schools in Washington, D.C., for photography, police community relations, civil rights, legal advisers and bombing and explosive matters. He taught at Kilgore Junior College, several Texas colleges and internationally in Costa Rica and other Central American countries. He was an instructor for the Texas Commission on Law Enforcement.

During his FBI years, he acted in movies with Helen Hayes and George Murphy. He also had parts in television series filmed in the D-FW area.

In 1974, after retiring from the FBI, Mr. Myers established Joseph M. Myers and Associates, an investigative consultant firm specializing in security matters, law enforcement training, paralegal services and movie production. His ongoing career included extensive world travel for the government.

Mr. Myers led a rewarding and fulfilling life with many interests--consultant, lecturer, writer, movie actor, owner and partner in several businesses. His hobbies included travel, collecting art and books, photography and golf. More recently, Mr. Myers formed the non-profit foundation, The Myers Family Foundation, as a way to encourage philanthropic work focusing on homeless and hungry children's literacy, etc.

In addition to his parents, Mr. Myers was preceded in death by sisters, Mary Blackledge, Victoria Myers and Lucille Charlan; and brothers, George C. Myers, Captain Thomas Myers and Wiley A. Myers.

Survivors: His wife of 59 years, Virginia Meadows Myers; daughters, Barbara Lee Myers Dacy and her husband, David T., Joanne Renee Myers and Brenda Jane Myers; granddaughters, Erin Leigh Dacy Boles and her husband, Ben, Brook Myers Dacy Vasquez and her husband, Horacio; great-granddaughters, Baylee Maria Vasquez, Avery Gabriella Vasquez, Ansley Caroline Boles and Jillian Claire Boles; sister, Catherine Adamo; brothers, John P. Myers and his wife, Mary Ann, Charles W. Myers and his wife, Carolyn, and Jim Myers and his wife, Carol; many nieces and nephews.