Roll Call Tribute

Sawyer-George Funeral Home obituary
12497 Leopard St
Corpus Christi, TX 78410-4103
Phone: 361-242-3205

John Power Westervelt

John Power Westervelt, 91, of Corpus Christi, Texas passed away peacefully on April 18, 2018, after a long battle with a stroke in late 2014.

John was born to Marie Power and George Conrad Westervelt on December 1, 1926, in Corpus Christi, Texas. He graduated from Corpus Christi High School and attended Texas A & M University for a short time before joining the United States Navy. After he was released from the Navy at the end of World War II, he returned to A & M and completed his Bachelor of Science degree in Industrial Engineering. In 1949, he went to work for Pontiac Refinery, which later became Champlin Petroleum and is now Citgo Refinery, and worked there until his retirement in 1988. After he retired, he worked part-time for Southern Paper and Chemical and later for Arlene Steele Real Estate in Corpus Christi; then he moved to Austin, where he worked for a real estate appraiser for several years. He was active in and served as president of Westside Rotary in Corpus Christi for many years.

John married Gwendolyn (Gwendy) Olive Elwell on June 24, 1950, and they made their home in Corpus Christi, Texas for the next 46 years. John served as a deacon at First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi for many years and loved the Lord. He and Gwendy raised three children, Van, Wayne, and Kay Lynn and were very involved in activities with them. They took many wonderful family vacations and made sure they brought their children up to love the Lord. John was a Scout Master, and both Van and Wayne achieved the rank of Eagle Scout with the guidance and encouragement of their dad. In 1996, John and Gwendy moved to Austin, where they lived until John’s stroke in December 2014. They made many friends there who love and miss them.

John was the true definition of a Biblical husband. He was the head of the home, and he loved his wife and cared for her. That was very apparent in the last eleven years of Gwendy’s life as she suffered from Alzheimer’s. He cared for her at home with some help from caregivers coming in to their home for eight hours a day for the last four or five years, but he had the responsibility for the rest of every day for doing everything for her. He did it lovingly and willingly up until the day he had the stroke. He took her out to dinner with him to Rosie’s on Tuesday nights to meet with their friends. He made sure to include her in as much of his life as he possibly could. His testimony of what marriage should be was lived out as an example to his children and grandchildren, and we are forever grateful for his life and legacy.

John is preceded in death by his parents, his brother, George Conrad Westervelt, Jr., and his beloved Gwendy.

He is survived by his sister-in-law, Nita Westervelt of Dallas; his son, Van (Gwynell) Westervelt of Bluntzer; his son, Wayne (Laura) Westervelt of Magnolia, and his daughter, Kay Lynn (Monte) Davenport of Grapevine. Other survivors include his grandchildren, Drew Westervelt of College Station, Erik (Tiffany) Crawford of Magnolia, Nathan (Kim) Westervelt of Corpus Christi, Shayne (Hannah) Westervelt of Robstown, Luke Westervelt of Denton, and Melody Davenport of Grapevine; one great-grandson, Emmett Van Westervelt of Robstown, and many nieces, nephews, and friends.

John’s family is forever grateful to The Gathering at West Lake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, where he took Gwendy each week to be with other people whose spouses suffered from Alzheimer’s and received support and had fun. We are also so thankful for the wonderful caregivers at the Plaza at the Mirador. You loved John and Gwendy and treated them like family. We will never forget the love you have shown our family, and we pray for God’s greatest blessings on each of you.

The memorial celebration of John’s life will be at the Chapel of First Baptist Church, 3115 Ocean Drive, Corpus Christi, Texas, on Saturday, April 21, at 11:00 am, with the Reverend Ralph Green, III officiating.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to First Baptist Church of Corpus Christi, The Gathering at West Lake Hills Presbyterian Church in Austin, Christ Central Baptist Church, Boy Scouts of America or Rotary Club International.