Finis L. Faulkner, Sr.
Finis L. Faulkner, Sr., career U.S. Army officer and educator from Harker Heights, Texas, passed away peacefully on April 8, 2012, at the age of 89.
Finis, who was known to his family and friends as “Bob,” was born Sept. 17, 1922, to Ellma and Wade Faulconer in Arkansas.
He enlisted in the Army on Aug. 13, 1940, and began a long successful career in the Army. His care
er took him to Ft Ord, Calif., and then on the England, North Africa, Sicily and Italy during World War II.
After the war he was stationed at Fort Lewis, Wash. and Fort Belvoir, Va. He then went to Austin, where he taught ROTC at the University of Texas.
He met Florice Rountree from the Creedmoor – Austin area and they were married in January 1948.
Florice already had four daughters, and three of them lived with them; he was a loving father to all of them for many years plus, he and Florice had four more cherished children of their own.
Besides tours of duty at UT and the VIII Corp in Austin, the family spent three tours of duty in Germany and two at Fort Sill, Okla., and San Antonio. He also served in Korea and Vietnam and retired in 1969 as Chief Warrant Officer (CW4). He retired with numerous distinguished ribbons and medals including the Bronze Star with two Oak Leaf Clusters.
Bob had a second successful career as an educator teaching at TSTI in Waco, Skyline High School in Dallas and North Lake College in Irving, retiring again through Teacher Retirement System in September 1987.
He and Florice then moved to Copperas Cove.
Bob was preceded in death by his parents; his in-laws; his first wife, Florice; brothers: Lloyd, Denton, Frank, Ernest and Douglas; sisters, Artrifes and Violet; sister-in-law, Janie Raven; and brother-in-law Bill Rountree. He was also preceded in death by son-in-law, Terry L Anderson; daughter, Paula Macklin; and son-in-law, Rick Macklin.
He is survived by his wife Delores Gibbs Faulkner; son, Finis L. Faulkner, Jr. (Melva), of Boerne; daughters: Peggy Warren (Paul), of Irvine, Calif., Pam Woody (Kevin), of Plymouth, Mich., Deborah Faulkner, of Nolanville, Texas, Janell Robertson (Noel), of Lockhart, Dorothy Anderson, of Lockhart, and Betty Porterfield, of San Antonio; and two brothers.
He is also survived by his second wife’s children, Allen (Donna) Ferguson, Lisa (Tony) Zandiotis and Cindy Ferguson.
Throughout the years he remained close to all his children and numerous grandchildren and great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews, plus his extended family members. He was loved and admired by all of them and will be missed although they will cherish memories of him.
A Celebration of his Life will be scheduled at a later date. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations in Bob’s memory to a charity of your choice.
Arrangements and cremation under the care and guidance of McCurdy Funeral Home, 105 E. Pecan, Lockhart, TX 78644 (512) 398-4791.
