Clinton McIntire Jr. 1926 -2026

Clinton McIntire, Jr. (many knew him simply as Junior) was born in Dallas, June 19, 1926, to Clint and Cleo McIntire. At about age 2 the family moved to a ranch near Bluff Dale, the Three Circle, belonging to Sid Richardson, one of the original wealthy oil families in Texas. At age 6 Clinton rode his horse to a one room school in Cedar Point. At age 14 he drove 5 other children to school. 

On June 8, 1944, less than two weeks from his 18th birthday, as many young men of his era were doing, Clinton enlisted in the military. He tells the story of traveling by train to the first assignment in the Navy and then his time in the Palau Islands. He served on a gunboat that followed a minesweeper in the Pacific. The minesweeper would cut the mines loose and when they floated to the surface, Clinton’s boat would then shoot them until they exploded. 

 After completing school through the 9th grade in Bluff Dale, Clinton attended school in Tolar. While there, he met Cynthia Wann. After returning from the Navy, he and Cynthia were wed on June 28, 1947. They would be married for 73 years until her death in 2020.From the late 1940s to 1964 Clinton worked almost exclusively on the farm/ranch at Paluxy. He and Cynthia had three children: Terry in 1950, Sheila in 1954, and Sharon in 1960. In 1964, 

Clinton began working at Bell Helicopter in Fort Worth, where he worked until 1988. Every day for almost the entire time Clinton worked at Bell, he played in what as well might have been the World Championship Domino Tournament at meal breaks; the best domino players in the world were right there at Bell. 

 After Clinton retired, he and Cynthia caught the traveling bug. They saw much of the country from tour buses. And some of the world beyond on a cruise. In 1992, they bought a travel trailer and joined the Comanche Peak SAMS. They camped and socialized with this same group almost every month for over 20 years. 

Clinton always had a strong sense of community and was active in local issues. In the early 1980s, a lake was proposed that would flood the family farm. Clinton, his family and neighbors organized for a fight that would last for the next 20 years. Ultimately, they were successful. 

 April 7,2006 Dad was in a serious farm accident. He was run over by a farm tractor. His injuries consisted of an almost severed ear, a fractured skull, broken ribs on both sides of his chest, a broken collarbone, a broken leg and quite a few bruises and abrasions. He spent about 3 weeks in the hospital before going home and was back on a tractor within a few months 

After Cynthia’s death in 2020, he remained at home on the farm mostly happy and independent; then with a wonderful team of family and caregivers helping him during his last days. His life on Earth ended 5 months short of his 100th birthday. Clinton is survived by his children son Terry & wife Nancy, Sheila & husband Butch, and Sharon & husband Ken, 7 grandchildren and 18 great grandchildren.