More detail on this person: Howard E.
Kessinger Jr., a retired U.S. Army colonel, U.S.
Military Academy 1950, passed away at sunset
Friday, April 27, 2012, in Frisco at the age of
82. He died after a short and vigorous battle with
cancer. Funeral: 4 p.m. Tuesday in Hawkins
Funeral Home Chapel. Officiating will be Phil
Gilbreath and Marvin McFadden. Interment: 11 a.m.
Wednesday in Greenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers
will include retired Col. David MacLaughlin, Brock
Smith, Ron Rowden, Dennis Bennet, Mark Strand
and Lewis Christian. Memorials: Donations in the
name of Howard E. Kessinger Jr. may be made to
Boy Scout Troop 194, Bridgeport, Texas. Howard
was born in San Antonio on May 21, 1929, to
retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Howard Kessinger
(U.S. Military Academy, class of 1924) and Ruth
McFarland Kessinger. He was a graduate of the
U.S. Military Academy, West Point, N.Y., class of
1950. The afternoon of his graduation, Howard
married Joan Ashe Kessinger, the love his life.
They were married for 62 glorious and
adventuresome years. During his military career,
Howard served as a field artillery man, fixed-wing
and helicopter pilot, and director of IT. He
served in Germany, the Korean War, two tours of
duty in the Vietnam War, Japan, and several United
States locations to include director of training
at the helicopter center at Fort Wolters, Mineral
Wells. His decorations included Legion of Merit
(two oak leaf clusters), Army Commendation Medal,
Air Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army
Occupation Medal, National Defense Service Medal
(1 oak leaf cluster), Vietnam Service Medal (six
campaigns), Vietnam Campaign Medal W/60
device, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal,
Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm and Senior
Army Aviation Badge. He retired from the Army in
1976 and began a 10-year career teaching high
school science and mathematics in Jacksboro.
Howard was awarded Teacher of the Year in
1988-89. He also taught the gifted and talented
course and constructed scenery for the drama
class productions. Many of his students have gone
on to careers in science, medicine, engineering
and education. After his years in the classroom,
Howard was elected and served on the Jacksboro
School Board for 19 years (1991-2010). He
considered his greatest accomplishment the
funding and construction of the new and renovated
Jacksboro elementary, middle and high schools.
Other than his family, Howard's greatest passion
was Boy Scouts. Wherever Howard lived, he
became an active leader and mentor to thousands
of boys. He began as den dad and grew through
cub scouting leadership roles to Webelos leader
and then the Scoutmaster for several Boy Scout
troops. His last and longest Scoutmaster position
was with Troop 194 in Bridgeport. Howard and Joan
sold part of their ranch to establish the Sid
Richardson Scout Ranch in 1968. In addition to
local scout troop participations, Howard also held
several advisory and leadership positions at the
Boy Scout district and council level. He was
awarded the Silver Beaver award, Boy Scouts'
highest adult award in 1978. He had a district
camporee named in his honor in 2008. In 2010,
Howard taught his favorite hobby, wood carving, at
the 100th anniversary National Boy Scout Jamboree
in Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Survivors: His wife, Joan
Ashe Kessinger; his five children, Cyndy Hopkins
of Fort Worth, Katherine Allen and husband, Glenn,
of San Francisco, Calif., retired Army Lt. Col.
Stephen Kessinger and wife, Elaine, of Oviedo,
Fla., William Kessinger, M.D., and wife, Rochelle,
of McKinney, David Kessinger and wife, Sharon, of
El Paso; his 11 grandchildren, Stephanie Strahan,
Jennifer Allen, Nancy Allen, Michael Kessinger,
Jonathan Kessinger, Sarah Kessinger, Chase
Kessinger, Ph.D., Thomas Kessinger, Kaitlin
Stone, Christina Kessinger, Victoria Kessinger;
great-granddaughter, Delaney Strahan; his sisters,
Lectora Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., Ruth Ann
Williams of Dunkirk, Md.; other family members;
and a host of friends.
Published in Star-Telegram on May 1, 2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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