John Lilburn Essman's Obituary
John Lilburn Essman, age 89, passed away peacefully on Monday, May 6, 2019 at Medical Center Las Colinas. John was born in Missouri on January 14, 1930 and soon after graduating from Sullivan High School, he joined the United States Air Force where he learned the radio world of editing and compiling music for the soldiers to hear. He met and married his wife Yuriko in Japan. After 22 years of military service he retired as a Chief Master Sergeant and began his state-side adventure. He was a hardworking, stubborn man, and when he did take time for himself you would always see him reading something from the library or doing his passion in collecting stamps to antique cameras. After his second retirement from Liberty Mutual Insurance, many of his favorite things and crowning achievements were volunteering at Metrocrest Services in Carrollton, editing at KERA Channel 13 in Dallas, doing voice over work for the reading impaired at Reading Resources, delivering food for Meals-on-Wheels, helping stock food at the Food Pantry of Carrollton, and handing out popcorn to visitors at Scottish Rite Hospital Dallas. He received an award for donating gallons of blood to the Carter BloodCare Center. He really loved helping people and they loved him dearly.John was preceded in death by his loving wife Yuriko and his son James Henry Essman. He is survived by his daughter Yvonne Layne; his grandchildren April & Daniel Pierce, Rachel & Avery Shaw and Jackie Essman; great grandchildren Sophie & Elizabeth Pierce and Terra Shaw; half-sisters Becky & Francis and their families; cousins Ron & Jackie Bransom; Jenny & Doug Thompson, Maureen Ingraham, David Dowell, Mark Dowell; and his adopted family Pam Tinsley, Cheryl Yount and Marge Yount.Funeral services. There will be a military Internment May 11th at 11am at Restland Funeral Home 13005 Greenville Ave., Dallas TX 75243 469.925.1436. Then a Memorial Service and Dinner Friday May 17th at 6:30pm at Central Congregational Church of Dallas 5600 Royal Ln, Dallas, TX 75229 (214) 363-1300.In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to either Central Congregational Church of Dallas or Metrocrest Services.
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