Willis Jr., Joseph Clinton

On August 14, 2007, Joseph Clinton Willis Jr. ended his courageous battle for life on 
this earth.

Funeral services are under the direction of Rader Funeral Home, with visitation being 
held on Friday, August 17, 2007, from 6-8 p.m., and funeral services on Saturday at 10 
a.m. in Rader Funeral Home Chapel. The Rev. David Farmer will conduct the services, 
with interment in Rosewood Cemetery.

His friends knew him as "Jay." He was born to Joseph Clinton Willis Sr. and Jessie 
Eleanor Stowers Willis on January 5, 1942, in Lockney, Texas. Jay met and married his 
sweetheart, Rita James, in Pampa, Texas. During their 41 years of marriage, she not 
only was his wife, but his best friend. They went everywhere together and you very 
seldom saw one without the other.

Jay and Rita moved to Kilgore, Texas in 1969 and then to Longview, Texas in 1979. He 
was employed by Longview ISD as warehouse supervisor and served in that capacity for 
23 years.

Jay was a very talented man; he enjoyed working with leather, gardening and cooking. 
Everyone had their favorite thing that he cooked and brought to work for his friends 
- and these included his famous Pineapple Upside Down cake, Hummingbird cake, fudge, 
peanut patties and Martha Washington candy. Jay was a very gifted painter, and he 
could capture the beauty he saw in God's creation on his canvasses. His favorites 
were beautiful landscapes that he delighted in giving as gifts to his friends.

Jay was preceded in death by his parents; and brother, Will and Eugene Willis.

He is survived by his wife, Rita; one sister, Patsy Awtrey; three nieces; two nephews; 
and one great-nephew.

Serving as active pallbearers will be Ron Cannon, Gaylon Sanders, Mike Gipson, Gary 
Browning, Kenny Corbell and Rick Malloy.

Honorary pallbearers will be all present and past maintenance employees who worked 
with Jay.

A memorial guestbook may be signed at www.raderfh.com.

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 8/17/2007.