A private Celebration of Life and interment for GEORGE R. BIGGS, JR, of Franklin, TX will be held in Jones, OK on a future date. He passed away peacefully with family at his side on Sunday, October 21, 2012. George was 81 and spent his life in service to others.
Born July 2, 1931 in Fayetteville, NC to George R. Sr. and Eliza Prior Biggs, he attended school there and was a football standout, making a doubtful recovery from a serious leg injury. George was named to All-State and All-Eastern honors three times and was a member of the 1948 NC Class AA State Championship Football Team.
Growing up near Ft. Bragg and Pope AFB, the military had a very important impact on George, as did family friend and WWII hero Theodore H. “Ted” Bachenheimer. Several schools, including Duke, North Carolina, NC State, and Miami offered George scholarships he but decided, “Uncle Sam needed him more” and volunteered for the U.S. Air Force during the Korean Conflict. He qualified for Officer Candidate School and was a Drill Sergeant at Lackland AFB prior to serving overseas, where his duties included Meteorology.
After his military service, Colonial Bread employed George in Seminole, OK and he met his future wife, Gwen Ross, at church in Holdenville. It turned out that her father’s grocery business was one his customers. They were married there on Thanksgiving Day, November 24, 1955.
George attended the University of Oklahoma and received both a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Science. After graduating from OU, George taught high school science and coached football at Maud, OK and Tecumseh, OK. He was a huge OU Sooner and Dallas Cowboy football fan.
In 1967, Mr. John Shepard, V.P. of New Mexico Junior College in Hobbs, NM, traveled to the OU Biological Station on Lake Texoma (where George was conducting research on plankton) and offered him a position as a Professor of Science. The family relocated to NM where he taught several subjects, primarily Biology. He was instrumental in establishing the Audio Tutorial Self-Study Program and served various positions in the Arts and Science Department at NMJC. In 2002, he reluctantly retired after approximately 42 years in teaching. He loved his job but knew that it was time to move on.
George was honored to serve as an Elder at Taylor Street Church of Christ in Hobbs for many years. He was also a former member and officer of the Hobbs Chaparral Kiwanis Club.
As a child, George observed his father seeking blood donors needed to save his mother’s life. He never forgot it. He took pride in being a 5 Gallon+ Donor and was disappointed when he was no longer able to give. Known to be a tough instructor, he would allow extra credit to students in return for donating blood.
His parents, a sister Mary Biggs Sparks, and husband Billy G., a brother Rufus Alexander Biggs, niece April Biggs Primo and granddaughter Mary Elizabeth Biggs, preceded George in death.
Survivors include Gwen, his wife of nearly fifty-seven years, son Mark and wife Debbie, daughter Lisa and husband Charlie Neff, six grandchildren (twin grandsons), five great-grandchildren (twin granddaughter and grandson) and many nieces, nephews, in-laws and friends. The family requests any memorials be made to Hospice Brazos Valley, 502 W 26th St. Bryan, TX 77803, Texas Children’s Hospital, Ronald McDonald House @ TX Children’s, Alzheimer’s Association or New Mexico Junior College Foundation. If preferred, give a friend a flower, fill out an organ donation card, donate blood, or just do a kind deed. Thank you to all the wonderful people that have been a part of his life and especially to Hospice Brazos Valley and those caring for him when ill.
View his Book of Memories™ at CallawayJones.com