Col. John Earl Stice

Colonel (Retired) John Earl Stice, 84, of Huntsville, Texas went home to be with our Lord and Savior on Thursday, November 5, 2015 at his home in Elkins Lake. Visitation will be held at Sam Houston Funeral Home located at 1700 Normal Park in Huntsville, Texas on Monday, November 9, 2015 from 5pm to 7pm. Funeral service will be held at First United Methodist Church located at 1016 Sam Houston Avenue on Tuesday, November 10, 2015 at 10am with Reverend Scott Dornbush officiating and Pastor Reagan Cooksey assisting. Interment will follow at Central Texas State Veterans Cemetery on Fort Hood Military Post in Killeen,Texas. Sam Houston Funeral Home is handling the funeral arrangements. John Earl Stice was born in Norman, Oklahoma to Earl and Lillian Stice on May 10, 1931. He went to high school at Foreman, Arkansas and graduated in1950. Having received a football scholarship to play for the University of Oklahoma, he married his high school sweetheart and love of his life, Dolphine Newton and returned to Norman. After a career ending knee injury, he joined Army ROTC to complete school. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Science degree in Education from the University of Oklahoma. Upon graduation in 1955, he was commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Army. Colonel Stice had a distinguished military career serving 30 years receiving five Legion of Merits and The Bronze Star. His service included two tours in Vietnam, Commander of the First Special Training Battalion, and concluded as Deputy Post Commander at Fort Hood. After retiring from the military, John began a second career as the Assistant Director of Support Services at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ). After serving 10 years for TDCJ, John retired for good in 1994. His mother, Lillian Stice, his father, Earl Stice, his sister, Nora Bergstresser, his brother, Howard Stice and his grandson, Zachary Stice, preceded John in death. John is survived by his wife of 64 years, Dolphine Stice, his daughter, Sue Polk and husband, Robert; his son, Mike Stice and wife, Joni; his grandchildren, Kelly Randolph and husband, Steven; Jason Polk and wife, Amanda; Jennifer Looper and husband, Ian; Amanda Stice, Tanner Stice and wife, Rachel and nine great grandchildren. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to the American Cancer Society and the H.E.A.R.T.S. Museum. Condolences may be left in John Stice’s name on the online guestbook at www.shmfh.com.

Col. John Earl Stice

May 10, 1931 - November 5, 2015