Roll Call Tribute

Gerard Townsend "Gerry" Haynes 

May 6, 1935 - August 22, 2024 

Gerard T. Haynes, “Gerry” as he preferred to be called, was born on May 6th, 1935 in Beaumont, Texas to Loretta and Thomas Haynes. He was the middle child with two brothers, Charles and Thomas. Gerry and his brothers grew up in a modest household where he gained his character and values from a loving family and small-town Texas friends.

Upon graduating from high school, Gerry enrolled at the Agricultural and Mechanical College of Texas (Texas A&M University) in College Station, Texas as a mechanical engineering student and a member of the Corps of Cadets. Gerry graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in mechanical engineering in 1957.

After college, Gerry entered the United States Air Force as a Second Lieutenant where he served most of his time abroad in Germany. As would later become routine in his life, Gerry found success in the military as a leader and role model to other men. Gerry went on to achieve the rank of Captain prior to being honorably discharged in 1962.

Following his military service, Gerry went to work in the engineering and construction business in Houston and shortly thereafter met his wife to be, Sue Green. Gerry and Sue quickly fell in love and were married in August of 1963. Now a family man, Gerry worked to hone his skills in the engineering and construction business in preparation to grow his family and strike out on his own in the business world. Following his plan, Gerry was successful working for both small and large construction companies prior to starting his own business, Industrial Contractors Inc., in 1970. Through dedication to family and work, Gerry and Sue built a very successful and happy life together. They had three children and 9 grandchildren, enjoyed the company of each other and friends on numerous adventures together, and grew a small unknown business into a thriving Houston construction company.

Gerry will be remembered as a loving husband, loving father, loving grandfather, good friend to many, and a selfless giver to the many people he cared about. Sue would say he was her ideal partner in life, always loving, always dependable and always giving more than he asked in return. His children and grandchildren would say he was always there for them with unconditional love and everything else he had, no matter what, from the start of their lives until the end of his. Gerry was a tough man but also the nicest person anyone could hope to know. He was the type of man that is rare today. He didn’t complain, never gave up, was slow to anger, quick to forgive, and strived to leave the world a better place than he found it.

Gerry is survived by his loving wife Sue Haynes, children David (Susan) Haynes, Melissa (Brad) Bynum and Michael (Kelly) Haynes, and grandchildren Benjamin (Katie), Jared, Courtney (Presley), Sarah, Emily, Caroline, Aiden, Charlie and Elizabeth.

A funeral service will be conducted for Gerry at Houston National Cemetery, on Wednesday, September 11th at 1:00 pm. Friends are welcome.