James Lloyd Rucker, 86, died June 19, 2016, in Plano, Texas, after a long and courageous battle with Myasthenia Gravis. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Turrentine Jackson & Morrow. Family and friends are invited to a visitation held on Tuesday, June 21, 2016 at Turrentine-Jackson-Morrow Funeral Home in Celina Texas from 6pm-8pm. Funeral services will be held at 3 p.m. on Wednesday, June 22 at the Prosper United Methodist Church, Prosper, Texas, officiated by Rev. Jason McConnell and Rev. Robert Hall.
Lloyd was born September 5, 1929, in the Pleasant Hill Community in southwest Taylor County, to J.H. (Herman) and Mary (Fuller) Rucker. He was the seventh of nine children. Seeing the need to provide for their large family that would eventually number nine children, Herman and Mary decided to expand their farming to include a dairy operation, the J.H. Rucker Dairy. In 1936, the family subsequently moved to rural southeast Abilene, and it was there the J.H. Rucker Dairy continued. The home is now next to the existing Sam Thomas Elementary School. All nine children contributed to the operation of the dairy, both for the support of the family and the viability of the business. The dairy also was the means by which Herman and Mary were able to reach their goal of providing a college education to each of their children—dairy products and farm products were “bartered” with McMurry College at times to pay for tuition, where all nine of the Rucker children attended, and graduated, between 1935 and 1955.
Lloyd attended school in Abilene, graduating from Abilene High School in 1946. He graduated from McMurry College in 1953, his education there being interrupted by service in the U.S. Army during the Korean Conflict.
Lloyd and Jo Anne (Judy) Duvall were married in Roscoe, Texas, on June 26, 1953, and were married just 7 days short of their 63rd wedding anniversary.
Lloyd worked from GMAC in Abilene before being transferred to San Angelo in 1958, where he later became associated with Texas Bank (formerly Texas State Bank). In San Angelo, Lloyd and Judy raised their three girls, and their lives revolved around their children, their church, and family friends. Lloyd delighted in horrifying his girls by standing up in the middle of the parents section at San Angelo Bobcat Stadium and joining in the signing of “Good Ole Abilene High” before the Central vs. Abilene High football games. While in San Angelo, Lloyd was a member of the Optimist Club, and served on the boards of Angelo Heights UMC and Sierra Vista UMC, the Concho Valley Home for Girls and the Methodist student center at Angelo State. In 1981, after all of the girls had graduated from high school, Lloyd and Judy left San Angelo and moved to Decatur, then Celina and finally settled in Prosper in 1987. Lloyd served as Mayor of Celina during their time there. At the time of his death, he resided in Sunrise Retirement Community in Plano.
Lloyd was a devoted lifelong Methodist. He was raised in Fairmont Methodist Church in Abilene, and after marriage, he and Judy attended Elmwood West UMC. In San Angelo, the family was active in Angelo Heights Methodist Church and later Sierra Vista UMC, where they were charter members. At the time of his death, Lloyd was a member of Prosper UMC. Regardless of the congregation of which he was a member, Lloyd served in various leadership positions, and served as the congregational representative to the district conference or general conference of the United Methodist Church, or attended the conferences for more than forty years.
Lloyd is preceded in death by his parents, four sisters, Alice (Rucker) Allen, Mary Lucille (Rucker) Chessmore, Ruth Ophelia (Rucker) Hickok, and Juanita Frances (Rucker) Marshall, and two brothers, Joe Herman Rucker, Jr., and John Morris Rucker.
Lloyd is survived by his wife, Judy, of Plano, his daughters Carolyn Kelley and husband, Bob, of Albuquerque, N.M., Cynthia (Cindy) Allen and husband, Larry, of Abilene, Tx., and Patti Overstreet, and husband, Doug, of Richardson, Tx., two grandchildren, Shawna Tindal and husband, Michael, of Seattle, Washington, and Cole Overstreet of Richardson, Tx., and two great grandchildren, Michayla Tindal and Matthew Tindal, of Seattle, Washington. Also surviving are his sister, Melba Rucker Boozer of Abilene, Tx. and brother, Harold Rucker of Richardson, Tx., numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Pallbearers will be Carl Nielson, Steve Boddie, Fred Kreger, John Lingren, Mike Lish and Roy Perrin.