Roll Call Tribute

John Paul Idoux 

February 5, 1941 - April 26, 2024 

John Paul Idoux was born February 5, 1941 in Houston, Texas to Walter Alphonse and Cecilia Ann Idoux. John was the third of four boys, with brothers Richard, Buddy, and Jimmy. John was raised in Houston, Texas. He attended school at St. Christopher Catholic School and St. Thomas High School, graduating in 1958. John obtained his bachelor degree from The University of St. Thomas in Houston, Texas. He went on to obtain his doctorate in Organic Chemistry from Texas A&M University in 1966.

John met Frances Anne Sullivan in the Bryan/College Station area in 1964 while he was in graduate school at Texas A&M University and she was teaching high school French. They were married on June 4, 1966. During the next thirty years, they raised four children, moving to various parts of the country as John worked at several different universities, including Northeast Louisiana State College in Monroe, Louisiana, the University of Central Florida in Orlando, Florida, Lamar University in Beaumont, Texas, and Coastal Carolina University in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. John held a variety of academic positions, including professor, dean, provost, and interim president. Throughout the years of raising children, John and Frances were actively involved in their neighborhoods and university communities. They also were very invested in their churches, where John served in many different roles including lector, usher, and Eucharistic minister.

Everything John did as a father included humor. He was constantly making his children laugh with his silly antics, jokes, and stories. Outdoors was his favorite place to be with his kids when they were young. John loved taking his children to the beach, and he was especially adept at surfing them into the shore on rafts. He was always a driving force in anything his children did from being their coach on sports teams, Chemistry tutor, financial advisor, and always their greatest supporter. In addition, John pursued various sports throughout the years, including golf, swimming, walking, and even running half-marathons in his 70s. He also always loved cheering on the Houston Astros and Dallas Cowboys, although he was certainly most passionate for the Fightin’ Texas Aggies. As John and Frances transitioned to the grand parenting years, John attempted (successfully, in some cases) to indoctrinate all twelve of his grandchildren into the Aggie mindset. He loved to tell his grandkids (and everyone else!) his favorite joke: “What do you call an Aggie at work? Boss.”

John and Frances returned to Texas in 2002 when John took a position as Executive Director at Tarleton- Central Texas. John was instrumental in transitioning Tarleton- Central Texas to Texas A&M University-Central Texas, which was established in 2009 as a member of the Texas A&M University System. John continued to be very active in his community and church, St. Paul Chong Hasang. In addition, John remained very invested in his career and also took on additional professional challenges including involvement with the Council on Higher Education and the National Science Foundation, as well as locating mentors for high school students pursuing science interests.

However, his favorite pastime was grand parenting. John thrived as “Ba” and “PaPa.” He adored his grandchildren, frequently attending their events or just spending time with them watching sports, playing Mexican train dominoes or, as they grew older, providing insight on any number of topics. When Frances passed away unexpectedly in 2016, John invested even more deeply in his faith and at church, serving as a mentor to confirmation students and continuing as a lector, acolyte, and Eucharistic minister. It was at St. Paul Chong Hasang that he met Maria Garcia, who became his second wife in 2020. They remained very active in church and also served on St. Joseph’s Catholic School’s school board together. In their free time, they frequented the YMCA gym, and John enjoyed Maria’s baking and cooking. However, they most loved to spend time with their families.

John was preceded in death by his first wife, Frances Anne Idoux on November 17, 2016, his parents Walter and Cecilia Idoux, and two brothers, Richard Idoux and Walter (“Buddy”) Idoux.

Left to cherish his memory is his wife, Maria Garcia Idoux; son and daughter in law, John W. and Teresa Idoux of Belton; daughters and sons in law, Michelle and Richard Delaune of Cypress, Lisa and Rudy Gonzalez of Montgomery; Christina and David Rodriguez of Jupiter, FL; grandchildren Alex, Ryan and wife Ellie, Rebecca, Emily and husband James, Olivia, Evan, Reagan, Rachel, Abby, Reece, Eli, and Lilly.

A Requiem Mass of Christian Burial will be 11:00 am Friday, May 3 at St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church in Harker Heights. Visitation will occur at Crawford Bowers Funeral Home in Killeen on Thursday, May 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm, with a rosary and prayer service beginning at 6:00 pm. Interment will be at 3:00 pm Friday at Our Lady of The Rosary Cemetery and Prayer Garden in Georgetown.

Pallbearers will be Richard Delaune, Rudy Gonzalez, David Rodriguez, Alex Gonzalez, Ryan Delaune, Evan Delaune, Reece Rodriguez, Eli Idoux, and Kinan McElroy.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be made to St. Paul Chong Hasang Catholic Church or Ladies of Charity.

Words of comfort may be made to the family at www.CrawfordBowers.org