Derald Cleckley

Derald Jackson Cleckley, age 92, of Sugar Land, Texas, died December 16, 2015. He is survived by his wife of 72 years, Hilda Carswell Cleckley, and by his 4 children Susan Rudolph and husband Kurt, Robert Cleckley and wife Debbie, Mary Kenney and husband Bruce, and Laura Dillingham and husband Randon. Survivors also include grandchildren Karl Rudolph-Ruiz, Joanna Rudolph, Leslie Lynch, Megan Lynch, and Elizabeth Brunk, and 4 great-grandchildren. Born December 27, 1922, he was the son of Hastings A. and Rosalie Page Cleckley. Born in Aiken, South Carolina, Derald spent much of his boyhood in Brooklyn, NY, and he carried traces of that accent throughout his life. Growing up, his family called him "Jack". He was Uncle Jack to some and Derald to most friends and colleagues. Derald graduated from Wake Forest University in 1943. He and Hilda married October 17, 1943, in Panama City, Florida. During WWII, Derald served in the US Army in Europe, with the 335th Ordinance Battalion. After the war he worked in the chemical industry in Houston, Texas. He was a Texas Freemason with Pasadena Lodge 1155 for over 50 years. Hilda and Derald raised their family mostly in Pasadena, Texas, where they were longtime residents, but the family also lived for five years in Salt Lake City, Utah. Derald was active in the laboratory glassware industry and was owner of Specialty Glass, Inc., of Houston. Most of the Cleckley family worked alongside Derald at various times over the years. The company remains in the family. Hobbies and interests included all sorts of home projects, from simple repairs to furniture building, sporting activities such as golf, fishing, and sailing. In his younger years he was seen sporting around in a British MG-TD roadster, and the family was also known to navigate the slippery slopes of Salt Lake City in a $75 vintage Fiat . More than anything, Derald simply worked at being a good husband and father, a supporter and mentor, a provider and a friend. His family will miss him dearly. Interment will be at Houston National Cemetery, at a future date.