John Duke Leamons, 84, of Tow Village died Sept. 4, 2016

John Duke Leamons, 84, of Tow Village passed away Sept. 4, 2016, at home surrounded by family. A memorial service is 2 p.m. Sept. 17 at Tow Baptist Church.

The eldest of Walter and Ethel Leamons’  seven children, John was born on Dec. 3, 1931, in Grapeland, Texas. A preacher’s kid, he spent his early years moving from one Texas town to another. In 1945, the family finally settled down, making Junction, the “Land of Living Waters,” home. John loved to fish, so Junction proved an ideal place to grow up, though once he had to run for his life as a wall of water raced down the Llano River toward him and his fishing tackle. His biggest catch was a 49-pound, 51-inch yellow cat hooked on a trotline at Wardlowe’s fishing camp.

After graduating from Junction High, he attended Angelo Junior College. In Junction, he met and, in 1952, returned to marry the love of his life, Frankie Jackson, also one of seven siblings. John never knew a shortage of kinfolk or family get-togethers.

The newlyweds moved to Austin, where John attended UT, but their plans were interrupted when Uncle Sam sent John to Korea for two years.  rankie returned to Junction, giving birth to their firstborn. In 1955, the Leamons returned to Austin, where John took a job at the post office. The couple often opened their doors to siblings coming to the big city in pursuit of education. John, Frankie and their four kids spent the work week in Austin but most weekends and vacations in Junction, where John usually fished. With the passing of John’s parents in the 1960s and Frankie’s mother in 1974, the ties to Junction slipped away.   When not in Junction, you could find John at places like Lakes Buchanan, Travis or Amistad or on the coast at Baffin Bay fishing.   

Known as “Bulldog” Leamons, John climbed the corporate ladder until 1986, when, as manager of mail processing for the Austin regional office, he retired. Having an empty nest, John and Frankie moved to a cottage on the shores of Lake Buchanan, where John fished and Frankie enjoyed the company of both family who had retired there and visiting kids and grandkids. Her dad, Frank Jackson, often lived with them until his passing in 1992, filling John’s evenings with domino games.   

John was a devoted Christian, at different times having served as a preacher, elder, deacon and Sunday school teacher. He and Frankie attended Tow Baptist Church.  A Democrat until McGovern’s nomination, during retirement, he became active in the Llano County Republican Party.

John’s other interests included gardening (a love acquired from his mother), making jellies and jams, drawing and painting, photography, reading, watching RFD TV, collecting and polishing rocks, chasing tornados, playing scrabble, 42 and 84, and writing poetry. He loved singing and was the bass in a family group that often sang at funerals. He had a dry sense of humor, frequently catching Frankie off guard.   With never a shortage of hungry mouths to feed, John became famous for his fried fish. Although not a hobby, with his many trips to rivers and lakes, John had a knack for getting stuck. And though often lost, he would never dare admit it by stopping to ask directions.

As a child of the Depression, he was prone to make do, going so far as to straighten and re-use old nails.  A shade tree mechanic until computers took over, he kept his old pickup and Frankie’s car maintained and running. Having taken up smoking at an early age, John began buying pipe tobacco and rolling his own after the price of cigarettes skyrocketed; one year, he even raised and cured his own tobacco.

Although his health was failing, John was blessed during his last year. The rains came, lifting his dock off the dry, cracked lake bed. Just days ago, when asked about this year’s fishing, John replied, “So far, I’ve caught 302.”

John will be missed dearly by friends and family. He was preceded in death by brother Ray Leamons.

He is survived by wife, Frankie; children, John F. Leamons, Rhonda Marr (and husband Richard), Michael Leamons (and wife Janice) and Greg Leamons (and wife Cynthia); 20 grandchildren; 15 great-grandchildren; brother Walter Leamons Jr. (and wife Stella); sisters, Mary Borskey, Lola Paine (and husband Hank), Mae Leamons and Patsy Rendon (and husband Clifton); and numerous nieces and nephews.