Mr. John Francis Cole's Obituary
Obituary for John Francis Cole
A favorite saying of John Cole was, “I’m just a stranger here myself. Heaven’s my home.” On June 24, 2023, at the age of 92, John made it home.
John Francis King Cole was born on July 31, 1930, in Monroe, Louisiana, to Francis M. and Eunice L Cole. In 1941, his family moved to Dallas, Texas, where he graduated from North Dallas High School at the age of 15. During the summer years of high school, John worked at Dallas Railway and Terminal Company in the credit department. He was offered a scholarship to SMU to play clarinet in the Band but instead opted to attend North Texas State Teacher’s College in Denton, Texas (now the University of North Texas), where he graduated at the age of 18 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration.
In 1951, John was drafted into the Army where he was stationed at Fort Knox, Kentucky, and later in Panama, where he worked in the machine records unit. Upon discharge from the Army, John returned to Dallas where he worked for 12 years at Dallas Rupe & Son, a brokerage firm. John left Dallas Rupe and Son in 1965 and joined IBM as a systems engineer. He later joined his brother, Jimmy Cole, at Electronic Data Systems (EDS) where he was one of the first employees. He retired from EDS in 1985 after 20 years of service.
John had a variety of interests in life. He and 14 other members of his family participated in the all-volunteer Gainesville Community Circus in the 1950’s. John performed in the trapeze act, as well as a clown, along with his son, Bruce. After working at Magic Land in downtown Dallas as a teenager, he booked himself out as “King Cole, Monarch of Magic”. John also had an interest in photography, and loved spending time at his lake house at Lake Tawakoni where he fished, took care of the immaculate yard, and enjoyed the beautiful sunsets. He also enjoyed attending his daughter’s theatrical performances, playing bridge, spending time with family, and socializing with a group of men self-named the ROMEOs (Retired Old Men Eat Out).
John is preceded in death by his parents, brother Jimmy, wife Patricia, and his beloved friends, Ted and Marion McKenney.
John is survived by his daughter Kerry Cole, son Bruce Cole, daughter-in-law, Evelyn Cole, grandchildren Jamie Cole and Justin Cole, and a host of other extended family members and friends.
A celebration of John's life will be held at 2:00 pm, Saturday, July 15, 2023, at Restland Funeral Home, 13005 Greenville Ave, Dallas, TX 75243. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the charity of your choice.
What’s your fondest memory of John?
What’s a lesson you learned from John?
Share a story where John's kindness touched your heart.
Describe a day with John you’ll never forget.
How did John make you smile?
