John Walter Golightly Jr

John Walter Golightly Jr. of Amarillo, passed on February 16, 2024. He was born on August 26, 1940, in Schulter, Oklahoma.

John's life will be celebrated on Saturday, March 16, 2024, at 10am, in the Schooler Funeral Home's Brentwood Chapel; 4100 S. Georgia. A reception will follow after the service. John will be laid to rest on Friday, March 22, 2024, at 10am, in the Dallas Ft. Worth National Cemetery, 2000 Mountain Creek Pkwy, Dallas, Texas, with full military honors provided by the DFW National Cemetery Honor Guard.

John was the youngest of four children and the only son of John Walter Sr and Viola Pirl Golightly.  Later, the family moved to Amarillo and he attended Horace Mann Junior High and Amarillo High School, graduating in 1958.

John began working as a young child, doing multiple jobs such as delivering newspapers, shining shoes, setting pins at the bowling alley and working at the Herring Hotel.  John’s strong work-ethic continued throughout his career.  In high school, he got a job at Levines Department Store in Amarillo, where he met and began dating Sharla Spalding.  They married in 1960, he began working at the Levines in Dumas.  John enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1961 and the couple moved to Fort Gordon in Georgia.  While in Georgia, the couple had two daughters, Laurie Dee and Alison Kay, both born in 1962.

After being honorably discharged from the Army in 1963, the couple returned to Amarillo in 1964.  John began working for Diamond Shamrock, that same year, the couple had a son, John Alan.  John continued his education, graduating with a BBA from West Texas State University in 1974 and his Master’s in 1978.  In 1980, he became a Certified Public Accountant.

After living in Amarillo for 22 years, John transferred to Dallas and began working for Maxus Energy.  He had a combined total of 30 years of service between both divisions.

John later held positions at Oracle and the U.S. Dept. of Defense.  His career in oil and gas accounting provided him opportunities to live in many locations both in the states and abroad.  The couple spent time in Indonesia, Colombia, and Washington, D.C.  After living in Frisco for 22 years, the couple moved back to Amarillo in 2022.

John was a kind and hardworking man who was a friend to everyone he met.  He enjoyed reading, genealogy, watching sports and spending time with his family.  He was very generous individual, always anxious to give to charitable organizations.

John was preceded in death by his parents, two sisters, Bernice Golightly and Mary Lue Murray and his son, John Alan.

He is survived by his wife, Sharla; daughters, Laurie Pace of Amarillo and Alison Walker of Terrell; sister, Jean Finley of Kalamazoo, MI; sister-in-law, Frankie Lockhart and husband, Jay of Aubrey; sister-in-law, Tracie Spalding of Amarillo; brother-in-law, Dexter Spalding and wife, Sandra of Amarillo.  Grandchildren, Madison Gaby and husband, Anthony of Fort Worth, Brittany Raymond and husband, Nate of Amarillo, Wilson Golightly of Fort Worth, and August Walker of Austin.  Great-Grandchildren, Ellie and Blakely Gaby of Fort Worth, and Natalie, Emmett and Pierce Raymond of Amarillo.  And numerous nieces, nephews, friends and extended family members.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Boys Ranch, the American Cancer Society, Towers to Towers (T to T), or a charity of your choice.