Earl McDermott (1920-2017)

Services for Mr. Earl McDermott, 96, of Fruitvale, were scheduled for 2 p.m., Friday, March 24, 2017, at Main Street Baptist Church with Dr. Bruce Smilie officiating under the direction of Bartley Funeral Home.

Interment will be in Woodside Cemetery.

Mr. McDermott passed away March 20 in Grand Saline. He was born May 22, 1920, in Maud to George & Beulah Green McDermott. Earl grew up in Maud and graduated from Redwater High School in 1937. After graduation, he served in the US Army Air Corp during WWII. Mr. McDermott came in to San Antonio from active duty in 1945 and married Joyce Spencer there the day after his arrival. They lived in Maud where Earl owned/operated a gas station. They next moved to Goldsmith, where they lived for 18 years, and he worked in the oil field and owned a drug store. The McDermotts moved to Kilgore in 1963 where Earl continued to work in the oil field. In 1965, they moved to Grand Saline where Earl was part of the original crew that operated the Northeast Edgewood sulphur recovery field plant of Pan American Petroleum Corporation. Mr. McDermott was a member of the Masonic Lodge #1269 in Grand Saline and has been a Mason for 60 years. He enjoyed the church's Fun After Fifty-Five group and was a farmer. Earl is preceded in death by his parents; wife of 63 years, Joyce Spencer McDermott; two brothers, Travis McDermott and Lloyd McDermott; and seven sisters, Helen Hayes, Josie Riley, Inez McDermott, Marie Merrill, Patty Gilbert, Virginia Robinson and Glenda Presley.

Survivors include his daughter and son-in-law, Carol & David Martin of Fruitvale; two grandchildren, Brent Martin, and Blake Martin and wife Brittanie; seven great-grandchildren, Nicole, Devon, Anyssa, Zachary, Elijah, Zoey and Novaleigh; and numerous other relatives and friends.

Pallbearers were Mike Land, Brent Martin, Mike Rogers, Blake Martin, Ron McDermott, and Sammy Jones.

Honorary pallbearers were John Rash, Ferd Maciel, Marvin Peel, Jack Dyess, and other “Pals Sunday School Class” members.