Willis H. Throckmorton

Willis H. "Throck" Throckmorton passed away on Saturday, July 19, 2003 in a local care facility. He was born on December 29, 1916, to Maude Willis and Charles Holmes Throckmorton in Mt. Olivet, Kentucky. After graduation from high school in Mt. Olivet he obtained a B.S. in analytical chemistry from Eastern Kentuckt University, followed by an M.S. at the University of Tennessee in Knoxville Tennesse. He was employed by the U.S. Bureau of Mines in Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and transferred from there to the Pantex Ordinance Plant in Amarillo, Texas, where he met and married his wife, Virginia "Jinny". In 1943 they moved to Los Alamos, New Mexico, where he was employed by the U.S. Engineer's Manhattan Project development of the atomic bomb. Following World War II the family moved to Honolulu where Throck worked for a newly formed company, Pacific Industrial Engineers. After several months tenure there they moved back to the mainland where he was hired by Tennessee Eastman in Kingsport as assistant head of the analytical laboratory. In 1952 he was transferred to Longview as head of the analytical lab at Texas Eastman where he remained until his retirement in 1982. Over the years he was a member of several civic clubs and organizations such as Kiwanis, Longview Men's Garden Club, and was a past-president of Knife and Fork Club, and the East Texas Sports Car Club of America and was on the originalboard of the Humane Society of Gregg County. He loved to Travel and was an avid gardner and reader. For the past number of years his greates interest was being a member and two-term President of the board of directors of the Longview Symphony League. Throck was a kind and gentle man who will be greatly missed by his family and friends near and far. He is survived by his wife of 60 years, Virginia "Jinny"; his daughter, Phyllis T. Shaw; granddaughter, Melanie Shaw Smith and her husband Eric; great granddaughter, Valerie Ann Smith; cousins, Mary Ann and Noble Roberts, all of Longview; and their daughters, Gaylan Burket and her husband Steve, and Kris Stevenson and her husband Ken, and their daughters, Jenni and Caroline, all of Plano; and cousins Marion and Frank Burdick of Pompano Beach, Florida. A memorial service will be held at 1:00 PM on Wednesday, July 23, 2003 at the First Presbyterian Church with the Reverend Jonathan Jehorek, Minister of First Presbyterian officiating. Family visitation will follow the service in the church parlor. In lieu of flowers, the family requests any memorials be made to Longview Symphony, P.O. Box 1825, Longview, Texas 75606, or to the Humane Society of Gregg County, 303 Enterprize, Longview, Tedxas 75604, or a charity of choice.

Willis H. Throckmorton

December 29, 1916 - July 19, 2003