Jack, Jack, Jack---you are so missed but I am eternally grateful that you passed in your sleep. I have known you since I was in kindergarten when my parents built a home next door to you and Dottie. I lived there until I married. You and your family were a special part of my life. My father asked you to look after my mom before he passed away at a young age and YOU DID! You also looked after me too. When I was in high school I trotted over to your house in my "jammies" many evenings for help with my math homework. It frustrated me that you would spend a few minutes reading the book to see what we were supposed to be learning---duh, rather than just telling me the answers. Nope, that never happened. Jack was blessed with a beautiful voice. He sang a leading role in the opera Carmen when it was presented in Port Arthur. As our houses were close together I could sometimes hear him singing in the shower. Jack did me the honor of singing at my wedding. He shared his musical skills by directing the choir at St. Marks Methodist Church in Port Arthur. This was a true gift of love. Jack was a very skilled man and had many interests. He had several tropical fish aquariums and it was my job to feed the fish when the family was out of town. (Fortunately none of them died.) I watched in amazement as he added several rooms to the family home. Did it all by himself. There was a ham radio in a back bedroom that was quite rig. Jack enjoyed it very much. His fascination with building models surfaced before I left the neighborhood. He continued this interest until the end of his life. Jack was always a family man. He loved his wife, children, grandchildren and great-grandchildren dearly. He will be missed by many. Rest in peace Jack. I love you. Toby Cone McGill

So sorry for your loss. What wonderful memories you have to share! Helen & Gary Tucker Angel Fire, NM

Jacob Hargis (Jack) Covington, Jr. was born on April 11, 1921 in Cumberland, Maryland to Jacob Hargis Covington, Sr., and Evelyn Cole Covington. He died in his sleep on Mother’s Day, May 10, 2015, at the age of 94. Jack held a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and a Master of Science in Chemical Engineering from the University of Michigan. In 1942, he married his lifelong sweetheart, Dorothy (Dottie) Smith, upon her graduation from James Madison University. He served in the Navy, teaching radio and radar classes to the troops. When WWII ended, he worked at DuPont in Charleston, West Virginia, until he was transferred to the Sabine River Works in Orange. Jack and Dottie lived in a home that they designed together in Griffing Park until they moved to Beaumont after his retirement in 1990. A lifelong Methodist, Jack directed the choir at St. Marks Methodist Church. He and Dottie also sang in the Port Arthur Opera Guild. When they moved to Beaumont, they continued singing in the choir at First United Methodist Church, as well as with the Beaumont Interfaith Choral Society. He was a Lion, a ham radio operator (call sign NG5F,) a master gardener and rosarian, and was an expert woodworker. When Dottie passed away in 2008, he bought a home in Mont Belvieu to be close to the family who lived and planned on living there. During his time in Mont Beliveu, his family enjoyed nightly dinners with him at his daughter’s house. Jack and Dottie were proud and loving parents of two daughters, Carla Schaefer, and Margaret Anne (Peggy) Zink. Jack is preceded in death by his wife, Dottie, and his daughter, Peggy. He is survived by his daughter and son-in-law, Carla and Ed Schaefer; son-in-law Peter Zink; three granddaughters and their spouses, Erin and David Cox, Leigh Anne and Joey Spell, and Martha and Dedrick Maisonneuve. Papa Jack will also be missed by his seven great-grandchildren, Reagan, Nate and Griffin Cox; Lorrie, Ellie, and Mollie Spell; and Grant Maisonneuve. Jack was an avid reader and he never stopped learning. He was dependable – “Old Noble and True!” as Peggy called him. He was honest, frugal, and was a good and faithful friend. He was beyond organized (for example, every item in his linen closet was recorded and duly accounted for!) He could find receipts for any purchase he ever made, for example, a blender he once gave to his granddaughter came complete the1963 owner’s manual. So many of their friends enjoyed roses from his garden, and Nana always had a bouquet near her “perch.” His family will treasure the many models of old sailing vessels that he built, including a majestic model of the USS Constitution. He labored on “Old Ironsides” for two years. His final project was a yellow dollhouse, which was somewhat reminiscent of the house he and Dot built. He was building a model of the Mayflower at the time of his death. We find peace knowing that he is finally reunited with Dot. She was truly the love of his life, and of all the accomplishments in his life, the best thing he did was love her well.

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