Joel Elliott Jeffcote, 64, of Bridge City, died Sunday, December 20, 2009, at Harbor Hospice in Beaumont, Texas.
Funeral Services will be at 10:00 a.m., Wednesday, December 23, 2009 at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Bridge City under the direction of Claybar Funeral Home. Officiating will be Reverend Brad Morgan.
Burial will follow at Hillcrest Memorial Gardens in Bridge City.
Visitation will be from 5:00-8:00 P.M., Tuesday, at St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Bridge City.
Joel was born on September 10, 1945 in Houston. He was the son of Otis Joel and Lola Erline Turnage Jeffcote. He was an active member of St. Paul's United Methodist Church in Bridge City. Joel graduated from Bridge City High School, Lamar University, and LSU-Baton Rouge MBA Executive Program. He served in the US Air Force as a Staff Sergeant from 1966 to 1969, which included one tour of duty in Vietnam. In 1970, he worked at Gulf States Utilities in Bridge City. After graduating from Lamar, he held various positions with Gulf State Utilities/Entergy and retired as Division Manager in Baton Rouge in 1996. From 1996 to 2009 he worked as Operations Manager for Option Care Inc. in Beaumont. He was President of the Chamber of Commerce in Huntsville from 1987 to 1988, Vice President of the School Board in Huntsville, long time member of the Rotary Club, Executive Board for YMCA in Lafayette, LA, Director of United Way in Lafayette, LA, and was twice recognized by Texas Development Council as Volunteer Industrial Developer. In 1994, He was Honorary State Senator of Louisiana in the Senate Chamber in Baton Rouge. Joel was also an avid fisherman, hunter, golfer, and LSU football fan.
He is preceded in death by his parents, Otis Joel and Erline Turnage Jeffcote.
He is survived by his wife, Margaret Nichols Jeffcote of Bridge City; son, Scott Elliott Jeffcote of Kingwood, TX; daughter and son-in-law, Sara Jeffcote Williams and Anthony "Moose" Williams of Huntsville; grandchildren, Carter Lee Williams and Joel Scott Williams both of Huntsville; sisters and brothers-in-law, Margaret and Tommy McRight of Calhan, CO, Marcia and David Groves of Tyler, TX, Janie and James Ray Bean of San Augustine, TX, Maraleice and Lester Saucier of Bridge City, and Maretta "Cookie" and Doug Zappe of Houston; brothers-in-law, Wilbur "Nick" Nichols and wife, Becky and Milford "Peanut" Nichols and wife, Denise all of Bridge City; and numerous nieces, nephews, great nieces, nephews, and cousins.
Serving as pallbearers are Tommy McRight, David Groves, James Ray Bean, Lester Saucier, Doug Zappe, Wilbur "Nick" Nichols, and Milford "Peanut" Nichols.
In lieu of flowers, the family asks that contributions be made to the American Cancer Society at www.cancer.org or Compassion International at www.compassion.com .