Obituaries

James Earl Greenlee, 91, of Sherman, went peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior on August 24, 2015. Graveside services will be held at 10:00 a.m. Wednesday, August 26th, in the Chapel on the Hill at Cedarlawn Memorial Park. Rev. Mack Rogers will officiate. Earl was born on February 1, 1924, to Roy and Nettie Eason Greenlee in Shamrock, Oklahoma, but moved soon thereafter to Ivanhoe, Texas. He was educated in Ivanhoe and Bonham schools, then joined the CCC Camp in Sherman for about a year. In 1943, he enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served aboard the USS Monterey and the USS Sargent Bay aircraft carriers in the Pacific for thirty-three months during World War II. After his discharge in 1946, he moved to Dallas and worked in a furniture factory while attending upholstery school. He married Ludean Dixon on May 11, 1956, in Sherman. Earl was certified in Interior Design then later worked for Rick Furniture in Dallas, in the custom drapery department. He then became the manager of the carpet department, a job he held until 1977. At that time, Earl became self-employed and established Earl Greenlee Custom Drapery Service. He worked with many area designers and workrooms over the next thirty years, until ill health forced his retirement. He greatly enjoyed the people he worked with, as well as all his customers. Earl was a long time member of the Sherman Church of the Nazarene, where he served as a church board member, Sunday School Superintendent, junior boys' Sunday School teacher, and delegate to the Dallas District annual conventions. He was recognized as Sunday School Teacher of the Year for the entire Dallas District in 1962. Earl loved his church and was a dependable and regular attendee of all services as long as he was physically able. In addition to his family and his special friends from the Nazarene Church, Earl's great loves were the Dallas Cowboys, the Dallas Mavericks, and the Texas Rangers. He also loved to hear (and tell) a really good joke. Survivors include his wife of 59 years, Ludean; one daughter, Jeanie and husband Artie Hancock, of Sherman; three grandchildren: Jarred Reynolds (Amanda Caldwell), of Anna, Jennifer (Vance) Bowen, of Sherman, and Jordan Hancock , of Houston; also one great-grandson, Adler Bowen, of Sherman; brothers: Doyle (Charlsie) Greenlee, of Frisco, Frank (Jo Ellen) Greenlee, of Duncanville, and Donald (Frances) Greenlee, of Wills Point; sisters: Edith Lewis and Dorothy Farmer, both of Dallas; sisters-in-law: Ludie Wright, of Denison and Betty Greenlee, of Duncanville. Earl was preceded in death by his parents, brothers: Wayne Greenlee and Ralph Greenlee, and his brother-in-law, Ossie Wright, Jr. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to the Alzheimer's Association at 3001 Knox St. #200 in Dallas, TX 75205.