Roll Call Tribute

John Charles Houston 

August 27, 1950 - November 8, 2025 

John Charles Houston, 75, of Houston, Texas, passed away on November 8, 2025, after a long hospital stay, with his loving family at his side 24/7 throughout.

John was born August 27, 1950, in San Antonio, Texas, to William Verdaman Houston and Lucille Celestine (née Lange) Houston. He graduated valedictorian from La Salle High School in San Antonio. During his youth he spent summers working construction for H. P. Zachary, helping build Interstate 10 in San Antonio.

John attended Texas A&M University, and was a proud and distinguished member of the Corps of Cadets. A lifelong Aggie, he cheered for Texas A&M through every season, even this last one from his hospital bed. John completed a five-year mechanical engineering program in four and a half years and graduating with the Class of 1972. He would have in 4 years, were it not for an eye surgery, the very same that would disqualify him from following family footsteps into a military career and fulfilling his dream to fly as a fighter pilot. Undeterred, John channeled the military discipline and a love of flight into his own path, eventually flying just as many miles into exotic places as a world traveler, for both business and pleasure.

In January 1973 John began his professional career as a junior engineer with Houston Lighting & Power (HL&P). He served the company for more than 42 years, through acquisitions and renaming’s, climbing to Senior Vice President at CenterPoint Energy, until his official retirement in 2015, though he continued to serve on boards until his last hospitalization.

John married his high-school sweetheart, Mary Jane “Janie” Houston, in July 1973 and brought her to Houston where she taught school while he worked at Wharton power plant those first years.

In his career, John balanced the discipline he learned at the Corps, with his innate kindness and ability to connect with people, to build a reputation of leadership, reliability, inspiration. This, combined with a mechanical inclination he shared with his father and father-in-law, led John to a diversity of roles and adventures within the company, including internationally respected early work on gas turbine power generation, grid planning and crisis response, and negotiating and advising on bringing infrastructure to far flung places across the world—Argentina, India, Pakistan, Brazil, Colombia, Poland, Germany, Turkey and other countries. While John relished the challenge, cultures, and excitement, and never failed to bring home stories and special souvenirs home for his children, it was the work and pleasure trips he could take with Janie that meant the most to John—Spain, Amsterdam, England, Brussels, Switzerland, Israel and Canada—as well as family road trips closer to home, like those he loved to tell stories about from his youth.

John loved westerns—also from his youth, but on through his last days—as well as any movie he could enjoy with family and any book they recommended.

He was a voracious reader, especially history of all kinds, and technical accounts of disasters—an interest he turned into practical planning for the boards he served on, crisis planning and response within the company, and the people and emergency services that relied on these.

John was known for a quick wit, a ready sense of humor, and a calm, steady presence. Above all, he treasured time with his family and especially his grandchildren; being a grandfather was “the cherry on top” of his life.

In 2006, John was diagnosed with Multiple Myeloma, a cancer he was determined to beat, and likewise determined not to let slow him down. Before retirement, nurses often found him in chemotherapy rooms with his laptop open making work calls, and family rarely heard a complaint or found him unavailable. Finally, after 19 years of challenges, close calls, impossible odds, brilliant doctors, a supportive family, and sheer willpower, John achieved full remission. This victory he proudly but quietly celebrated with friends and family. It was short lived, however, as John was then diagnosed with MDS. Though he was determined and fought to until the end, it proved too much too fast.

John is survived by his wife, Mary Jane “Janie” Houston; children Douglas Houston and Kara Houston (Jay Ahmadi); and grandchildren Kaitlyn, Madeline, Camden, Evangeline, and Ellington. He also leaves his brother Leonard Houston (Sue), his sister Charlotte Barry, and a wide circle of nieces and nephews, extended family, and friends who will miss him dearly.

A Visitation with light refreshments will be held Wednesday, November 19, 2025, from 4:30 pm to 8:30 pm with a Prayer Service to start promptly at 5:00 pm and Vigil to follow at 5:30 pm at Klein Funeral Home-Champions. A Funeral Mass will be held Thursday, November 20, 2025, at 10:30 am at Prince of Peace Catholic Church. Burial will follow at Klein Memorial Park-2920 at 2:30 pm.

Serving as pallbearers Douglas Houston, John Henry Van De Walle, Tim Van De Walle, Jay Ahmadi, Camden Ahmadi, Thomas Russo, Jr., Jerome Svatek and Lance Rumfield. Serving as honorary pallbearers Leonard Houston and Thomas Russo, Sr.