Hugh Lawrence Jeffus

Hugh Lawrence Jeffus, Jr., age 70 of Deport, died at his home on September 21, 2012. Graveside Services will be held on Monday, September 24, 2012 at 11:00 a.m. at Highland Cemetery with Pastor Cindy Baker officiating. Serving as pallbearers will be Mike Everheart, Thomas Nichols, Wayne, Reed, Gary Ford, and Charles O'Neal. Honorary Pallbearers will be the Lone Star Street Rod Association and the Northeast Texas Travelers. The family will receive friends beginning at 2:00pm on Sunday, September 23 at Wood Funeral Homes, Deport. Hugh Lawrence was born on May 15, 1942 in Deport, the son of Hugh Lawrence and Medora Elizabeth Marshall Jeffus. He was a Third Generation Banker, working in finance for 48 years, and serving as President for both the First National Bank of Deport and Community National Bank of Detroit. He believed that banks were intended to help their community not just operate for profit. He was proud to be the custodian of Jeffus Family Land that has been in the family since 1834. He was the Chairman of the Board of the LSSRA for the last 12 years-Lone Star Street Rod Association; was a member of the Northeast Texas Travelers that allowed him to make friends and relationships all over the United States, traveling in his beloved 1936 Ford Pickup driving to all 48 states on the continent; he was a former member and Fire Marshall of the Deport Volunteer Fire Department, and was a member of Deport Presbyterian Church. He was preceded in death by a brother, Thomas Rider Jeffus in 1978 and his parents. He was a devoted family man and one of the biggest joys in his life was going from a being a Dad to being a PaPaw having pancakes and bacon on Sunday's for his girls, after church with Meme. He married Vicki Smith Gooding on June 3, 1985. She survives him today, as does his children: Jeff Jeffus of Bowie, Texas and Christy Jeffus Dean and husband Garrel of Reno; Benjamin Gooding and wife, LaVonne of McKinney and Camey Rodgers and husband, Russ of Denton; 5 grandchildren: Chase, Amanda, Cydney, Joey, and Rileigh; sister, Nanalee Jeffus Nichols and husband, Thomas of Deport; brother Marshal and wife Sandra Jeffus of Garland; two nieces, Marsha Jeffus Usvolk and husband, Scott and Joyce Jeffus Phillips, and husband, Brad; 3 great-nephews; one great niece; sister-in-law, Nancy Dorsey and husband, Mike of Tyler.