D.A. Cornett

D.A. Cornett, 85, of Corpus Christi, Texas passed away April 8, 2012. D.A. was born August 22, 1926 in Papalote, Texas to Sarah Elizabeth and David Arrington Cornett. He grew up in Papalote and Odem, Texas with his two brothers and four sisters. He graduated from Odem High School on May 25, 1944 and joined the U.S. Army Air Corps in August 1944 serving as an M.P. and talking the B-29 pilots in Nevada into letting him start up the engines on these state-of-the-art bombers. He was honorably discharged in May, 1945. He met Joyce Hester on a blind date and they married April 9, 1949, had two children and lived in Sinton, Texas briefly before moving to Bishop, Texas. He got a job as an operator at the Celanese Plant in Bishop on October 21, 1952, working in the "snake pit" in the Butynal unit, then moving to the Methanol Synthesis I unit and later helped start up the Methanol Synthesis II unit at the plant. He became an Operator III and sometimes filled in as supervisor when the supervisor was ill or on vacation. He retired from Celanese on September 1, 1986. He lived in Bishop, Texas with his second wife, Fidela Cornett for nine years and helped raise her five children. Fifi and D.A. were blessed with a daughter. He lived the last nine years of his life with his daughter, Cathy, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He loved to watch football on T.V., both college and professional, and was an avid Dallas Cowboy fan. He loved doing crossword puzzles and reading western novels by Zane Grey and loved model railroading and loved his cats. He was a part-time mechanic and was good with his hands and could build just about anything. D.A. is survived by his sister, Pat Rose; his son, Gary (Susan) Cornett; daughters, Cathy (Mark) Villarreal, Carol (Everett) Hickman; step-children, Rosemary Abernathy, Angie Benevidez, Rex Myers, Ray Myers, James Myers, Theda Myers, Rachael Myers; grandkids, Jason Kisiah, Capri Patterson, Justin Cornett, Jonathan Villarreal, Jeremy Villarreal, Aric Hickman and Arista Hickman; great-grandkids, Kaley Kisiah, Posey Patterson and soon to be born baby Cornett. A special thanks to his care-taker, Nora Garza and also the staff at Cimarron Place Health and Rehabilitation Center. Funeral services will be conducted on Thursday, April 12, 2012 at 11:00 A.M, in the Chapel of Sawyer-George Funeral Home with The Rev. Stan Whites officiating. Interment will follow in the Robstown Memorial Park Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Gary Cornett, Mark Villarreal, Ray, Rex and James Myers and Everett Hickman.