Harry Hedgpeth
Harold G. Hedgpeth, 93, passed away Sept. 30, 2019, in Spring Branch.
A graveside funeral service under the direction of Riley Funeral Home was held Oct. 4 in Live Oak Cemetery, Hamilton County.
Mr. Hedgpeth was born Oct. 16, 1925, in Hamilton.
Harry had many careers in his life starting as a bus driver at the age of 15 before graduating from high school in Gatesville. He was a farmer, rancher, cowboy, construction worker and machine operator all before joining the Army Air Corps in 1943 at 18.
From 1943 to 1945 he trained to be a fighter pilot at Buckley Field, Arizona, Missoula, Montana, Santa Ana, California, Tulare, California, Merced, California and Luke Field in Arizona where he received his wings.
After the war he attended Texas A&M University and Texas Tech University and proceeded on his diverse career path where he worked in telephone line construction, water well drilling and even spent some time crop dusting.
After becoming an engineer, he entered into the mining field where he settled for the remainder of his career living in Wyoming, Utah and finally Pennsylvania where he was president and CEO of a large coal mining operation. In 1988 he retired and came home to Texas and settled in Spring Branch.
Beyond his extensive career, he was also involved in community service and served on the boards of the Girl Scouts, Geological Survey Advisory, Lions Club, Rotary Club, Citizens Ambulance Service, Boy Scouts, United Way, Coal Producers Association and Pittsburg Mining Institute and was a proud Mason.
Before and after retirement he had many interests and hobbies. He was an avid reader, enjoyed hunting, camping and fishing, golfing, history, geography, war history, gardening, airplanes, horses and boating.
He traveled extensively throughout the United States visiting Civil War battlefields, historical sites, national parks and monuments, eventually fulfilling his goal of visiting all 50 states with an Alaskan cruise. Internationally, he almost succeeded in visiting all seven continents by reaching five of them.
He was proceeded in death by his parents, Armo Tye and Laura Summerford Hedgpeth; brother Denny Hedgpeth; sister Dorrice Hedgpeth Beck; nephew Zane Beck and grandson Glenn Sewell.
He is survived by his wife of 67 years, Anne McCaig Hedgpeth; three daughters, Holly Miller, Charlotte Hedgpeth and Laura Izay and son-in-law Steve Izay; grandchildren Justin Miller, Devon Miller, Tamsin Vaccaro, Damon Vaccaro and Sarah Friesenhahn; and great grandchild Aiden Gardner.
Memorial contributions may be made to Live Oak Cemetery Association c/o H.J. Billingsley, 251 E. Brooks Dr., Evant, TX 76525.
