Homer Horton, Jr.
Homer Horton, Jr passed away Friday, July 4, 2014 at Briarcliff Health Center in Greenville, TX with his family by his side. He was 89 years old.
Memorial services will be 2:00 PM, Saturday, July 12, 2014, at Coker-Mathews Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Jerrett Featherston and Evelyn Brod officiating. Visitation will be 1:00 PM until service time Saturday.
Homer was born in Ft Worth, TX in 1925 to Homer Horton, Sr. and Annie Laurie Millaway Horton. He enlisted in the Navy and served as a Pharmacist’s Mate, Third Class in Okinawa and Shanghai in WWII. He married Shirley Marie Pringle December 23, 1946 in Benicia, CA.
He returned to Texas with his new bride and enrolled in the University of Texas completing his business administration degree in 1949. He began his career in hospital administration in Columbus TX, continued in Port Lavaca, TX, finally moving to Greenville in 1960 when he was recruited to become the administrator for the newly created Greenville Hospital Authority. He took the Hospital Authority through the process of acquiring funds for the beginning of community medicine in Hunt County and the creation of the Hunt County Hospital District in 1967, a new hospital in 1971, the Hunt Memorial Hospital District in 1981, the addition of the hospital in Commerce in 1983, then a 4 floor expansion of the Greenville hospital 1987. He retired as Chief Executive Officer in 1987.
He was preceded in death by his beloved wife of 52 years in 1998, his parents, his brother Billy Joe Horton, and granddaughter Haley Houdek.
He is survived by his children Laurie Houdek and husband Alan of Dallas, TX, Michael Horton and wife Donna of Allen, TX, and Cheryl Horton of Irving, TX. Grandchildren Amy Gamble and husband Nick, Jamie Houdek and special friend Tom Patterson, Christopher Horton, Taylor Houdek, sister-in-law Mary Lou Horton of Carrollton, Texas, brother-in-law James W. Pringle of Sonoma, California and several nieces, nephews and cousins.
Homer’s family would like to thank the staff of Briarcliff Health Center, Dr Richard Selvaggi, and Dr Ahmad Ata for the excellent, kind, and compassionate care over the last 6 plus years. Words cannot express our gratitude.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the Parkinson's Disease Foundation, Inc., 1359 Broadway, Suite 1509, New York, NY 10018, Salvation Army or charity of choice.