John Milton Vinson, Sr.

John Milton Vinson, Sr., 93, passed away on June 30, 2023, in Houston, TX. He was born on January 19, 1930, in Cleburne, Texas, to Omer and Janie Lois Vinson. 

Growing up in the town of Frost, Texas, John Milton Vinson was the son of schoolteachers and coaches of Frost High School. He loved sports of all kinds and competed in football, basketball, baseball, tennis and other competitive sports growing up through high school and college. John Milton learned about discipline and hard work growing up and this served him well to succeed throughout his life. After graduating from Frost High School, he started at Navarro Junior College where he played football and baseball. He then went on to Sam Houston State University earning his degree in teaching while also playing on the baseball team. John Milton served in the United States Air Force as a navigator flying in a first response jet aircraft defending U.S. mainland in the early to mid-1950s. It was then he met JoAnn Dalovisio. John and JoAnn were married in Lake Charles at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception on August 26, 1956. They lived happily married forever, having three children, John Milton, Jr., Robert Paul and Mary Angela. After serving in the Air Force, John attended Texas A&M University and studied Engineering, graduating in 1958 with his Mechanical and Industrial Engineering Bachelor of Science Degrees. His professional career included over 25 years at Bechtel Engineering Corporation. John loved playing golf and softball during his adult life and coached his son's teams whenever he could find time while traveling the world with Bechtel. After retiring from Bechtel in 1995, John traveled with JoAnn, Sarah Dalovisio Neil, Pauline Dalovisio Keith and many friends, played plenty of golf, which he loved and became proficient, but enjoyed the camaraderie and relationships just as well.

Those left to cherish his memory are his beloved wife of 67 years, JoAnn Dalovisio Vinson; his sons, John M. Vinson, Jr. and his fiancé Kay Albitz, Robert Paul; his daughter, Mary Angela Vinson; his two grandchildren, Sydney Vinson and Dakota Vinson, several nieces and nephews; Sara Mull, Janice Davis, Fred Vinson Jr., Mary Smith, David Olney and Bobby Vinson, and a large extended family that were all blessed to have known and loved John Milton Vinson.

He was preceded in death by his parents, brothers, Omer K Vinson and Fred Vinson, Sr. and a large extended family he was blessed to have loved. 

Visitation will be at Johnson Funeral Home, 4321 Lake St., Lake Charles, LA. 70605 on Friday, July 7, 2023, from 4:00PM until 7:00PM with a rosary being recited at 6:00PM and will resume on Saturday morning from 8:30 AM until leaving in procession to the church at 9:30 AM.  A Mass of Christian Burial will be celebrated at 10:00 AM on Saturday, July 8, 2023, in the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception, 935 Bilbo St., Lake Charles, LA.  Entombment will be in Prien Memorial Cemetery under the direction of Johnson Funeral Home.