Funeral services for John Rollin Willis, will be 11:00 AM, Tuesday, May 28, 2024 at First Irving. Rev. Blaire Robinson will be officiating. Burial will follow with military honors at the Oak Grove Memorial Garden. Family and Friends my visit from 9:00 am until service time at the church, Tuesday, May 28th. Services are under the direction of the Colonial Funeral Home of Irving. Son, brother, husband, father, grandfather, great grandfather, John Rollin Willis was a quiet leader who led by example. He was a faithful man of serviceto his family, his profession, and always to his church family. He and his wife Laquetta were married on August 19, 1950, at First Baptist Church Irving, and John joined the church in 1957. At First Baptist he served on the finance committee, as a greeter on Sunday mornings, as a deacon, and into his 90s he picked up groceries from several stores and delivered them to the local food bank. John was born in Dennison, Texas, on December 1, 1925 to Elmo and May Willis. They moved to Dallas while his father was working for the Katy Railroad. At the age of four the family, which included his older brothers Robert and Richard and his younger sister Johan, moved to the family homestead area outside of Parsons, Kansas to farm. John (or Rollin as hes known to the Willis family) grew up on a working farm and attended a one room school house with his brothers and sister through 8th grade. He attended high school and two years of junior college in Parsons, Kansas, and graduated from SMU with a BBA degree in 1949, utilizing the GI bill. He was drafted into WWII and joined the Army in July 1944 at the age of 18. While in the Army he served in Europe with the Company G: 134th Infantry Regiment; 35th Division; Third Army, serving in three campaigns, during Ardennes (Battle of the Bulge), Rhineland, and Central Europe. During his service he received the Bronze Star Medal, Good Conduct Medal, American Campaign Medal, European-African-Middle Eastern Campaign Medal & Bronze Star Attachment (Triple). He also received the World War II Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, and the Honorable Service Lapel Button WWII. He was honorably discharged in July 1946, with the rank of PFC, returning home on the Queen Mary, and participating in the Army Day Parade in Chicago, IL. One of the greatest joys of his life was going on the 10th Honor Flight out of DFW, which flew veterans (mostly WWII on his flight) to Washington DC, to see the WWII Memorial and other military memorials. He received a jacket which he wore constantly the rest of his life. Johns first job out of college was at Retail Credit Co. in Dallas, TX in 1949. Laquetta happened to be working there at the time he interviewed, and encouraged her boss to hire him. The rest of that love story is 75 years of history. He then went to work for the Dallas County Purchasing Department from 1950-1955. Then he joined the new Parkland Memorial Hospital as a purchasing agent in 1955. After the JFK assassination, President Kennedy and the injured Texas Governor Connally were rushed to Parkland. John was assigned as a liaison between the Connally family and the medical staff attending the governor. He stayed with Parkland moving up and up the ladder of administration until retiring, after 33 years, in 1988 as the Senior Vice President. John was awarded status of Fellow in American College of Hospital Administrators in 1975. Parkland Hospital set up an Employee of the Year Award called the John R. Willis Award to honor the Parkland employee who follows the tradition of integrity, loyalty, and commitment set by John R. Willis. After retirement, John and Laquetta travelled extensively, covering all 7 continents and most of the United States and Canada. They went by car, bus, train, ship, and airplane. John is survived by his loving wife of almost 74 years, Laquetta, his three children, Pam (Hayden) of Irving, Mike (Joel dec. 1/20/21) of Dallas, and Sherry (Doug) of Los Angeles. Grandchildren include Joshua and Zachary (Ben) of Los Angeles, and Molly and his great-granddaughter, Sadie of Irving. Johns legacy is his dedication to family and the integrity instilled in them. John's family have requested that memorial donations be made to the John Willis and Student Camp Scholarship Fund at Irving First, 403 S. Main Street, Irving TX 75060; 972-253-1171. You may be part of John's funeral service through livestream at the attacked link https://youtube./live/q7frkcYmcQY?feature=share Photo Album Visitation Tuesday, May 28, 2024 9:00 AM - 11:00 AM First Irving 403 S MAIN STREET Irving, Texas Funeral Service Tuesday, May 28, 2024 11:00 AM First Irving 403 S MAIN STREET Irving, TX