Mike True, 70, passed away Saturday morning, November 30, surrounded by his wife and children at his home in Corpus Christi after a yearlong battle with cancer.
Michael Gordon True was born in Dallas in September 1943 to Joe True and Jackie (Haldeman) True who were both native Texans from Collin County. Joe was a Navy enlistee and served in the Pacific theatre before becoming a union carpenter; Jackie was the daughter of a farming family of 9 children.
Mike graduated Garland High School and attended East Texas State College before marrying DeLeyne Garten of Dallas and fathering three children; Jeff, Shelley and Cheryl. The Trues lived in Garland, Shreveport, Waco, and ultimately settled in Plano in 1971.
Like his father and grandfather before him Mike became a carpenter and ascended to become a superintendent of commercial construction projects around Texas through the 70's and 80's. Mike later owned and operated a construction company in partnership with his uncle Buck Haldeman of Rockwall. Mike also worked on projects in California, New Mexico, Colorado and Alabama.
Mike married Kim Pate in 1980 and the couple were married for nearly 34 years. His lifetime of avocations included boat racing, offshore fishing, deer, elk and bird hunting, car racing, water skiing, and gun trading. He had a fondness for quality firearms and handmade knives and bought, sold, and restored hundreds of them. He also cited his pilot's license as one of his most enjoyable accomplishments and held a boat captains license
Mike began his love affair with the Texas coast around 2005 and recently moved into a self-designed home on North Padre island. A semi-retired True began building automatic carwash installations in the Corpus Christi and Port Aransas area and recently the company he started with 40 year friend and business partner Billy Farmer, TrueFarm, Inc., began construction the 3rd of these facilities.
Mr. True is survived by his wife of 34 years, Kim True; son Jeff and his wife Karen of Los Alamitos, CA; daughter Shelley Bailey and husband Greg of Plano; daughter Cheryl Kool and husband Russ of Plano; and grandchildren Courtney True, Tyler Bailey, Abigail Bailey, Chris Bailey, Alyssa Kool and Alexis Kool; and an extended family including sister in law Micki Wyatt, Cote and Kristi Wyatt, Amber and Scott Case, Adam Wyatt, and mother in law Lou Pate.
Mr. True will be interred in a columbarium in Allen, Texas, on Tuesday, December 10.
Services will be held at Turrentine Jackson Morrow at 4 pm on that day.
Exit 38A Ridgeview Dr., and Hwy. 75
2525 Central Expressway North, Allen, TX 75013
PH: 972-562-2601