John Richard Willingham

1952 - 2023

John Richard Willingham
09/14/1952 - 11/08/2023
It is with great love, respect, and tremendous sadness that we announce the passing of John Richard WILLINGHAM from this earth.
There will be a celebration of John's life at a later date.
John was born in Midland Texas on September 14, 1952 to parents, Ellna Roberta WILLINGHAM, née Hines, and his beloved father, C. D. WILLINGHAM. He attended Lee High school and was a star player on their basketball team. John was a gifted athlete and excelled at any sport he played. Like his father, he made his living in the oil field and was a wonderful provider for his first wife, Barbara WILLINGHAM, née Truett (his high school sweetheart, who preceded him in death in 1998) and his three sons, John R. Willingham Jr., Clinton Dow, and Brian Joseph.
Those privileged to know John recognized he was a unique and very special human being. A rare man of impeccable integrity, fair minded, hard-working, jovial in spirit, with a quick wit and hilarious sense of humor. His beautiful smile, dimples, and crinkling eyes would light up a room and lift your spirits. His children and grandchildren were his ultimate joy, and he was so proud of them. He cherished every moment he could spend with them no matter what they were doing - teaming up in basketball for Hoopla or numerous other activities, playing video games together, or just sitting around telling stories and laughing. Through simply living, he taught them the important things of life like commitment and loyalty to family and friends, sticking up for the underdog, fighting for and doing what's right, generosity, and treating others respectfully and with kindness. He will forever be each of his sons' hero.
In his retirement, he found a special love again with his wife, Sharon Truett and together, joyfully, they lived outside of Austin, in Lockhart, Texas before ultimately moving to the DFW area. They shared many years of laughs, travels, and tender moments before his peaceful passing on November 8, 2023 of pancreatic cancer.
In addition to his wife, Sharon Turett and 3 sons, John is survived by his sisters, Carolyn Marr and Mickie Gregory, his 2 grandchildren, Ariel Willingham and Landry Willingham, as well as numerous beloved cousins, nieces, and nephews, and special life-long friends.