Jack Newton Needham Sr.

“The” Jack Newton Needham, Sr. was born in Dallas, Texas on December 26th, 1950, to E. W. Fenton and Lew Del (Sullivan) Needham with six older siblings, as his little brother and lifelong sidekick, Joe, had not yet arrived. He passed from this life surrounded by loving family on March 9th, 2024. Jack married the love of his life, Sophia K, on May 7th, 1970, 10 days after their first date and were blessed with almost 54 years together, 3 kids, 8 grandkids, and 2 great-grandkids. If there was an adventure to be had, Jack was all in. If there was fun to be had, Jack was all in. He was the gadget guy. If there was the newest toy or tech, Jack was all in. From Mustangs to Corvettes to a Ferrari, if it had a gas pedal and could take off fast, Jack was all in. His love of life, his wife, and his family were a huge part of him. Sneaking off to Vegas with his brothers or his mom and having to call home and explain he wouldn’t be home for dinner may have happened more than once. He got along with just about everyone he met and ranks high on the list of greatest salesmen because he was genuine. He truly enjoyed helping people and watching other people be successful. He was a great father and grandfather whose kids never doubted his love or their importance to him. His son may be named Jack Jr, but all his kids have been accused at one time or another of being a “Jack Junior.” He taught them to love life the way he did, to do whatever you did with your whole heart. He and Kay taught them to play hard, work hard, and to love even harder. Jack came from a long line of entrepreneurs and was himself one. He was an entrepreneur who never stopped thinking of ways to tweak the direction of the different businesses he was involved in to make them better. Who says a carpet store can’t sell drapes, blinds, ceiling fans, or go karts? Or, let’s just add a whole new dimension and start roofing, thus launching one of, if not the, original storm chasing families that has been referred to as roofing royalty. One thing was constant with Jack, he always did it his way, unless, he could be convinced to do it Kay’s way, which did happen on occasion. Jack was a master pool player, golfer, loved to bowl and go fishing, play darts, basketball and softball and was an avid fan of the Cowboys, Rangers, Mavericks, and Stars. He was preceded in death by his parents, Fenton and Lew Del; father-in-law, William Lee; brother, Gerald Needham; sister, Joan Grubbs and husband Roy; sister, Reva Harris and husband Eugene; sister-in-law, Patricia Needham; brother, Jim Needham and wife Nita; brother-in-law, John Lee; niece, Debbie Grubbs; nephews, Joe Harris, Ricky Grubbs, Craig Needham, Floyd Harris, Robert Puzzo, and John Lee Jr; great-nieces, Laura Sheree, Ashlie Smith, Kaylee Miller; and great-nephew, Vincent Perez. Jack is survived by his wife of 54 years, Sophia K; his daughter, Julie K. Needham; his son, Jack Needham Jr and wife Amanda; his daughter, Jessica Rivera and husband Jesse; his grandkids, Alexandrea, Andrew and wife Savannah, Jack III, Dylan, Libby, Arysa, Lilyana, and Isabella; his great-grandkids, Brandyn and Amelia; his sister, Jynnifer Mosley and husband L.G.; his brothers, John Needham and Joe Needham; his sister-in-law, Mary Talbert; his brother-in-law, Ken Lee; and a plethora of nieces, nephews, great-nieces, great-nephews and folks that just became family, of which there is an abundance. The family will receive friends from 3:00pm to 7:00pm on Friday, March 15, 2024 at Byrum Funeral Home Chapel. A celebration of Jack’s life will be at 1:30pm (Needham Standard Time) on Saturday, March 16, 2024 also in Byrum Funeral Home Chapel. Interment will follow at Edgewood Cemetery, Lancaster.

Jack Newton Needham Sr.

December 26, 1950 - March 9, 2024