Petty, John A.

John A. Petty, 97, went to be with his Lord and Savior August 9, 2007. He was born July 17, 
1910, in Siloam Springs, Arkansas, to Alonzo Frank Petty and Clara Stultz Petty. He moved 
to Longview, Texas, in 1947 to begin his own construction company, John A. Petty Contractor, 
which later became Longview Construction Company. As the company expanded, he paved streets, 
built highways, bridges and dams and laid water and sewer lines in Texas and Louisiana. He 
built much of the infrastructure still used today and helped establish the foundation for 
the economic growth of the city of Longview. His largest project was the construction of 
the levee system that protects the city of Dallas even today from flooding by the Trinity 
River.

He was a member of the board of directors of the YMCA, Cherokee Water Board, and a member 
of the Citizens Council of the Scott and White Memorial Hospital.

In 1953, John was declared a Master of the Royal Secret of the 32nd Degree of Scottish Rite 
and in 1977, he was presented at the Ceremonial of Investiture with the Rank of Knight 
Commander of the Court of Honour at the Scottish Rite Temple in Dallas. In 1975, he was 
presented a Life Membership by Longview Masonic Lodge No. 404 and in 2003, he received his 
50-year pin.

He served as an elder on the official board of First Christian Church and regularly attended 
the Loyal Men Bible class for more than 60 years.

He enjoyed coaching Little League baseball, where his team of 11-year-olds, the Eagles, won 
the state of Texas Little League Championship in 1952. His passion for supporting the youth 
of Longview was shown in the numerous students who were able to attend college due to his 
generosity and kindness, most of whom he helped anonymously.

John's greatest passion was breeding and racing thoroughbred horses. He established the first 
Class A training track in East Texas. From 1970 through 1996, his Paradise Farms horses won 
more than 300 races at tracks including Churchill Downs and Oakland Park. One of his favorite 
horses, Daytime Tudor, won the Texas Derby for 3-year-olds at Louisiana Downs.

He was preceded in death by his daughter, Nancy Kindle, in 1966, and his loving wife of 67 
years, Velma Petty, who passed away October 8, 1998.

John is survived by his daughter, Elaine Allen, his former son-in-law, Harry Allen; three 
grandchildren, Kathy Allen Linton and her husband, Zeke, of Longview, Steve Allen and his 
wife, Cindy, of Longview and Keith Petty Kindle and his wife, Susan, of San Antonio; five 
great-grandchildren, Chelsea Allen of Dallas, John Allen at the University of Texas, Nancy 
Lou Kindle of Missouri City, William Wayne Kindle and John Christian Kindle of San Antonio.

His family will always remember his favorite quote from Grantland Rice: 

  "For when the One Great Scorer comes to mark against your name,

    He writes-not that you won or lost-but how you played the game."

Funeral services will be 10 a.m. Monday, August 13, 2007, in the chapel of Rader Funeral 
Home of Longview, with the Rev. David Farmer officiating. Interment will follow in Memory 
Park Cemetery.

The family will greet friends at the funeral home today, August 12, from 3-5 p.m.

The family requests that in lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to First 
Christian Church, 720 N. Sixth St., Longview, TX  75601.

A memorial guestbook may be signed online at www.raderfh.com

Published in the Longview News-Journal on 8/12/2007.