James Roy Daniel, Jr. passed away August 7, 2002 at the age of 72 from complications of leukemia and congestive heart failure.
He began work at the Caller-Times in 1948 and retired from the newspaper September 1988 after 40 years of service. Following this retirement, he occasionally traveled to disaster sites where he worked for FEMA as a Public Affairs and News Media Specialist.Roy was a retired Director of Operations for the Corpus Christi Caller-Times and was responsible, in the 1970's, for the conversion of the newspaper's production technology from molten, hot metal composition to electronic computer composition and for the conversion of the press from letterpress to offset printing. He played a major role in successfully combining the two separate daily editions of the newspaper (the Caller morning edition and the Times evening edition) into one daily morning publication, now known as the Caller-Times.
His career included getting the newspaper printed and distributed during the days following Hurricane Celia in 1970, resurrecting the GOSS press following a damaging pressroom fire, and overseeing the building construction of a sizeable addition to the original newspaper building.
Roy was a veteran of the Korean War where he served in the military police from 1951-1952.
He loved music and had a beautiful tenor voice. His warm, friendly personality won many friends; and he took great joy and pleasure in these friendships. He and his wife Mary were avid square dancers for 25 years, traveling near and far to enjoy the hobby and the friends who shared this joyful activity. Locally, he was a member of the Circle Up Squares square dance club and served the South Texas Square and Round Dance Association for many years as the square dance caller coordinator.
As a former board member for the Corpus Christi Area Council For the Deaf, Roy was instrumental in getting the Corpus Christi Police Department to install equipment (TDY) that would allow deaf individuals to phone the police for help. He learned sign language as a child growing up in Austin.
Roy was born October 10, 1929 in Paris, Texas to Iva Jo (Edwards) and James Roy Daniel. Both of his parents worked for the Caller-Times: his father was a linotype operator and his mother was an evening proofreader. Also, his sister JoAnn Haberle worked at the newspaper for a short time.
He is a 1948 graduate of Austin High School, Austin, Texas, moving to Corpus Christi to play football for Del Mar College.
He met Mary Yost while working at the Corpus Christi Caller-ÿTimes and they married November 25, 1970. They had no children.
Immediate survivors include his wife, Mary Daniel, and two children from a first marriage, Sharon Brauer (married to Lew Brauer) of Breckenridge, Texas; and Dr. Gary A. Daniel of Pagosa Springs, Colorado. Other surviving family members include two brothers, Bill E. Daniel of Richland Hills, Texas (wife Wanda and their children Terry, David and Jacque) and Jimmy Daniel of Fort Worth, Texas (wife Christy and their children Parker and Austen); one sister, JoAnn Haberle of Burleson, Texas (husband Walt and their children Pam and Tracy); a nephew, Harry Simms of Richardson, Texas (wife Jean); and a brother-in-law, Dr. Clyde Yost of Boerne, Texas (wife Bette and children Michael and Gregory); Four grandchildren include Candace Brauer Curtis, Breckenridge, Texas; Sam Daniel, Grapevine, Texas; Molly Daniel and Sarah Daniel, Keene, Texas; and one great-grandchild, Jamie Curtis, Breckenridge, Texas.
A private graveside service will be held Saturday, August 10, 2002 at 10:00 am at Seaside Memorial Park.
A Memorial Service to honor his life will be held at First Methodist Church on Shoreline Drive at 2:00 pm on Saturday, August 10, 2002 and a visitation reception will follow in the church's Fellowship Hall. The celebration of Roy's life will be lead by Jim & Maxine Welch. Honorary pallbearers are Ted Boaz, Gene Carter, Tom Haggard, Bob Sumpter, Bill Mullinax and Joe Farias.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to the Cooper Sunday School Class at the First United Methodist Church or to the Corpus Christi State School Endowment Fund.