Albert Edward “Ed” Percival Jr., 76, of Bryan, passed away Wednesday morning January 4, 2012 at his residence. The family will receive friends during a visitation from 6 to 8 p.m., Friday January 6, 2012, at Callaway-Jones Funeral Home with the rosary to be recited at 7 p.m. A Funeral Mass is set for 10 a.m., Saturday, January 7, 2012 at St. Joseph Catholic Church with Monsignor John A. McCaffrey officiating. There will be no interment as Ed’s wishes were to be cremated locally in the care of Callaway-Jones Funeral Home and Crematory.

Ed was born September 17, 1935, in Quirgua, Guatemala, to Albert Edward Percival, Sr. and Louisa Maria (Roma) Percival. After growing up in Guatemala and Costa Rica, he attended St. Stanislaus High School in Bay Saint Louis, Mississippi. After high school, Ed married Dawn Burns on June 6, 1958 in Laredo, Texas. In the same year, he also graduated from Texas A&M University with a B.S. in Agriculture, and he went on to receive a Masters in Plant Breeding and a PhD from Texas A&M. He was known to be a huge Aggie Football fan and longtime season ticket holder.

Ed worked for most of his career for the U.S. Departments of Agriculture, traveling the world collecting rare species of cotton for breeding. He retired from there as National Curator of Germ Plasm. He loved his family and he loved his Lord most of all. Ed was a long time member of St. Joseph Catholic Church where he taught Bible Study every Monday night for 25 years. He also prayed weekly in the church’s prayer room.

Ed was a kind and generous man known for his willingness to help any in need. He was also known for his wry sense of humor, his faith, and his deep love of his family.

Survivors include his loving wife, Dawn Percival, of Bryan; son, Albert Edward Percival III, of Austin; daughters and sons-in-law, D.D. and Jean-Philippe Dufoin, of Las Vegas, Nevada, Marie Louise and Greg Cummings, of Blessing, Texas, Lydia Claire and Phil Meuret, of San Antonio, Texas; brother, Alfred Richard Percival and wife Mary, of Lubbock; grandchildren, Kelley McDonald and husband Jason, John Jarrott, Cody Cummings and wife Christine, Kara Cummings, Claire Cummings, Carole Dufoin, Jackson Meuret, Jacob Meuret, Regan Edward Meuret; great grandchildren, Levi Marek, Kendall Marek, Blake Cummings; niece, Louise Schwab and husband Doug.

The family would like to express deepest gratitude to Dr. Usha Venkatraj and the staff of Hope Cancer Center. Additionally, they are profoundly thankful for the care of Hospice Brazos Valley with special thanks to Robin.

In lieu of flowers, he would like donations to be made to St. Joseph Catholic Schools Library or Covenant House Ministries.