TRAVIS TRUSSELL, 77, of Clarksville, Texas, passed from this life unexpectedly on Sunday October 5, 2014 at Paris Regional Medical Center. The family will receive friends from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Thursday at Starrett Funeral Home, followed by a memorial service to be conducted at 2:00 p.m. Saturday October 11, 2014 in the chapel of Lemons Funeral Home, 206 West 8th Street, Plainview, Texas, 79072. Officiating will be Bill Keele.

Locally, friends may call from 6:00 to 7:00 p.m. Wednesday October 8, 2014 at Starrett Funeral Home, where the family will receive friends.

Travis was born March 14, 1937 in Snyder, Texas, a son of John and Lora Wood Trussel. He was a graduate of Hale Center schools, then spent a long career as a mechanic with Jack Morris Ford and Mackie's Automotive in Plainview. He was a faithful Christian, worshiping at the Lamar Street Church of Christ in Paris, Texas.

Travis loved children and animals. In Plainview, he was a tireless volunteer with the Garland Street Church of Christ bus ministry and meticulously cared for a playa lake and it's waterfowl. This playa lake was named in his honor as the Travis Trussell Duck Pond due to his hard work. In Amarillo, he was a volunteer with Amarillo Wildlife Refuge working closely with exotic animals including his favorite, white tigers. And most recently, in Clarksville, he was a Texas Master Naturalist, working closely with Texas Parks and Wildlife and Texas A&M University AgriLife Extension service, helping to educate Texans about the ecology of their state. These are a few of Travis' many life services.

Travis was blessed to have been happily married twice! He married Nancy Phinney in 1958 and the two celebrated 42 years of joy. This union gave him the light of his life, his daughter Kelly. Nancy preceded Travis in death in 2000, and in 2003 he found new joy when he married the former Elizabeth Dale in Amarillo.

Travis was preceded in death by a cousin, Elois Pruitt, and by a brother, Morris Trussell.

Survivors include his wife Elizabeth; one daughter, Kelly Schaffer, of Pampa; two sons, Gene Glaeser and wife Kaye, of Marble Falls, and Alan Glaeser, and wife Susan, of Midlothian; six grandchildren, Calvin Schaffer, Amber Maenius and husband Brandon, Jordan Glaeser, Derek Glaeser, Kyle Glaeser and Jaclyn Glaeser; one great-grandson, Ethan Maenius; several cousins, including Shirley Miller and Kathy Hall; and a brother, Tommy Trussell, of Lubbock.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to St. Jude's Hospital for Children, 501 St. Jude Place, Memphis, TN 38105, www.stjude.org , or to Children's Hospital of Dallas, 1935 Medical District Drive, Dallas, Texas 75235, www.childrens.com .