A funeral service for Mr. John Wesley Cordray, age 72, of Carthage, TX, will be held at 2 p.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2013, at Jimerson-Lipsey Funeral Home Chapel with Rev. Danny Carter and Rev. Charles Moody officiating. Interment will follow in Restland Memorial Park near Carthage. The family will receive friends from 5-7 p.m. on Monday at the funeral home. John was called to his Heavenly Home on Saturday morning, April 6, 2013, in Longview, following a lengthy illness.

John Wesley Cordray was born on Feb. 3, 1941, near Beckville, TX. He was the only child of John McNeal "Mack" and Addie Clark Kennimer Cordray. He received his public schooling at Beckville. Following graduation with the Class of 1959, he attended Lamar State College of Technology in Beaumont for one semester; he then transferred to Panola College, from which he graduated in 1961. Transferring to Stephen F. Austin State Teachers College, he received a Bachelor of Science degree in January of 1963 and a Master of Arts degree in 1968. He began a 28 year teaching career at Newton ISD in Newton, TX in January of 1963, resigning in 1968 to take a teaching job at Carthage ISD and assuming the county judgeship, John served briefly as Interim Administrator of Panola General Hospital now ETMC-Carthage. He retired from service as county judge in 2002, having served longer continuously at that time than any other Panola County county judge. While at Newton, John met and married Patricia Ann Moody on Aug. 13, 1966. They celebrated 46 years of marriage before his death.

John enjoyed hunting squirrel, deer, and ducks until time constraints and ill health forced him to quit. He also enjoyed travel, genealogy, reading, old time country music such as Tex Ritter and Jim Reeves, and politics. John was a member of Pisgah UMC at his death, and had formerly been a member of Calvary Baptist Church in Beckville and St. Andrews UMC in Carthage. He served one term as District Trustee of the old Longview District of the UMC and held various offices at Pisgah UMC. John was also a former member of the Carthage Noon Lions Club and the Panola County Chamber of Commerce. He was a lifetime member of the Stephen F. Austin Alumni Association. While county judge, he served a term as chairman of the 14 county JTPA Board of Directors.

John is survived by his wife, Patricia, as well as numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins. He is also survived by one half-brother, Arlie Kennimer of Gladewater. He was preceded in death by his parents; a special uncle, William Ellis Cordray; two other uncles, Calvin and A.A. "Fonce" Cordray; three half-brothers, Charles, Leon, and Earl Kennimer; his half-sister, Rella Kennimer LoPorto; as well as one niece, two nephews, and several cousins.

Serving as pallbearers are Riley LaGrone, Nealan LaGrone, Ted Morgan, Colton Griffin, Greg Cordray, Matt Bagley, and Richard Bagley.

Serving as honorary pallbearers are Gene Giles, Cliff Todd, Killis LaGrone and the Beckville High School class of 1959.

If desired, memorials may be made in lieu of flowers to St. Jude's Children's Research Hospital, P.O. Box 1000, Dept. 142, Memphis, TN 38101-9908, Pisgah U.M.C., c/o Rev. Danny Carter, 1007 Baylor Dr., Carthage, TX 75633, or Heart's Way Hospice, 437 W. Panola, Carthage, TX 75633.

A guestbook may be signed online at www.jimerson-lipsey.com.