More detail on this person: Howard E. Kessinger Jr., a retired U.S. Army colonel, U.S. Military
Academy 1950, passed away at sunset Friday, April 27, 2012, in Frisco at the age of 82. He died
after a short and vigorous battle with cancer. Funeral: 4 p.m. Tuesday in Hawkins Funeral Home
Chapel. Officiating will be Phil Gilbreath and Marvin McFadden. Interment: 11 a.m. Wednesday in
Greenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers will include retired Col. David MacLaughlin, Brock Smith, Ron
Rowden, Dennis Bennet, Mark Strand and Lewis Christian. Memorials: Donations in the name of
Howard E. Kessinger Jr. may be made to Boy Scout Troop 194, Bridgeport, Texas. Howard was born in
San Antonio on May 21, 1929, to retired U.S. Army Brig. Gen. Howard Kessinger (U.S. Military
Academy, class of 1924) and Ruth McFarland Kessinger. He was a graduate of the U.S. Military
Academy, West Point, N.Y., class of 1950. The afternoon of his graduation, Howard married Joan Ashe
Kessinger, the love his life. They were married for 62 glorious and adventuresome years. During his
military career, Howard served as a field artillery man, fixed-wing and helicopter pilot, and
director of IT. He served in Germany, the Korean War, two tours of duty in the Vietnam War, Japan,
and several United States locations to include director of training at the helicopter center at Fort
Wolters, Mineral Wells. His decorations included Legion of Merit (two oak leaf clusters), Army
Commendation Medal, Air Medal, World War II Victory Medal, Army Occupation Medal, National
Defense Service Medal (1 oak leaf cluster), Vietnam Service Medal (six campaigns), Vietnam Campaign
Medal W/60 device, Armed Forces Expeditionary Medal, Vietnam Cross of Gallantry with palm and
Senior Army Aviation Badge. He retired from the Army in 1976 and began a 10-year career teaching
high school science and mathematics in Jacksboro. Howard was awarded Teacher of the Year in
1988-89. He also taught the gifted and talented course and constructed scenery for the drama class
productions. Many of his students have gone on to careers in science, medicine, engineering and
education. After his years in the classroom, Howard was elected and served on the Jacksboro School
Board for 19 years (1991-2010). He considered his greatest accomplishment the funding and
construction of the new and renovated Jacksboro elementary, middle and high schools. Other than his
family, Howard's greatest passion was Boy Scouts. Wherever Howard lived, he became an active leader
and mentor to thousands of boys. He began as den dad and grew through cub scouting leadership roles
to Webelos leader and then the Scoutmaster for several Boy Scout troops. His last and longest
Scoutmaster position was with Troop 194 in Bridgeport. Howard and Joan sold part of their ranch to
establish the Sid Richardson Scout Ranch in 1968. In addition to local scout troop participations,
Howard also held several advisory and leadership positions at the Boy Scout district and council
level. He was awarded the Silver Beaver award, Boy Scouts' highest adult award in 1978. He had a
district camporee named in his honor in 2008. In 2010, Howard taught his favorite hobby, wood
carving, at the 100th anniversary National Boy Scout Jamboree in Fort A.P. Hill, Va. Survivors: His
wife, Joan Ashe Kessinger; his five children, Cyndy Hopkins of Fort Worth, Katherine Allen and
husband, Glenn, of San Francisco, Calif., retired Army Lt. Col. Stephen Kessinger and wife, Elaine,
of Oviedo, Fla., William Kessinger, M.D., and wife, Rochelle, of McKinney, David Kessinger and wife,
Sharon, of El Paso; his 11 grandchildren, Stephanie Strahan, Jennifer Allen, Nancy Allen, Michael
Kessinger, Jonathan Kessinger, Sarah Kessinger, Chase Kessinger, Ph.D., Thomas Kessinger, Kaitlin
Stone, Christina Kessinger, Victoria Kessinger; great-granddaughter, Delaney Strahan; his sisters,
Lectora Johnson of Birmingham, Ala., Ruth Ann Williams of Dunkirk, Md.; other family members; and a
host of friends.
Published in Star-Telegram on May 1, 2012
This information was last updated 05/18/2016
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