Joe Larned, Jr.

Joe Larned, Jr., 90, of Port Neches, passed away peacefully on Jan. 16, 2012, at Cypress Glen in Port Arthur. He was born on Dec. 9, 1921, in Haskell, TX, to Joe and Florence Tidwell Larned.

Joe was preceded in death by his wife, Martha Ozelle Stough Larned.

He is survived by daughters, Belinda Mades and husband, Jack of Port Neches and Laura Whigham and husband, Philip of Woodville; grandchildren Danny Powers of Groves, Chris Powers and wife, Heather of Bangkok, Thailand, Jeff Powers and fianceé, Yoshi Lindow of Beaumont, JoEllen Droddy Meyer and husband, Jordan of Bridge City, and Emily Booker of Woodville; great-grandchildren, Connor and Liam Powers, and expected great-grand- daughter, Kaylee Jo Meyer.

Also surviving are brothers, Kenneth Larned and wife, Doris of Port Arthur, Jerry Larned and wife, Beth of Abilene, and sister, Alta Faye Harvey of Haskell.

Joe proudly served in the U.S. Coast Guard during World War II, and was stationed in Port Arthur. He was a 1946 graduate of Landig College of Mortuary Science, and was a licensed funeral director and Embalmer. Joe was employed by Clayton Thompson Funeral Home for over 60 years.

He also retired from Gulf Oil in 1982, after 30 years of service. Joe served on the Board of Directors of Gulf Credit Union from 1967 to 2008. He was a member of United Methodist Temple, Port Arthur Cosmopolitan Lodge No. 872, Scottish Rite, and EI Mina Shriners.

Visitation will be Wednesday, Jan. 18, from 5:00 p.m., until 8:00 p.m., at Clayton Thompson Funeral Home in Groves.

Funeral services will be held at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, Jan. 19, in the Thompson Memorial Chapel at Clayton Thompson. A private burial will follow at Oak Bluff Memorial Park in Port Neches.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to United Methodist Temple, 4101 Hwy 73, Port Arthur, Texas, 77642, or to the charity of one's choice.