What would Waco been like if George Nokes didn’t come our way. ??

23. Nov, 2011 0 Comments

By Bill Foster, editor
I wonder what North Waco would be like if it wasn’t for George Nokes. I knew
him as he helped develop North Waco. He had several partners. One of them,
was Charlie Sligh who has a lumber yard on North 5th. I don’t know which
came first. He built the Lake Air Mall, the Lake Air Bank. the Lake Air
Towers and the housing development surrounding these. It was farm land. D.
T. Janes owned the land where the First United Methodist Church now exists.
Mr. Janes and his family donated the land in 1962 Gilbert Urbantke, was
working at the Citizen newspaper while he Developed plans for the new
church.
He died last week. He was buried at Waco Memorial Park Tuesday.
After Baylor he went to the University of Texas where he and his wife later
set up some scholarship programs. Mr. Nokes served in the Texas House of
Representatives and later Texas Senate. While a student he supported Lyndon
Johnson for President. He went to national Democratic conventions.
He and his second wife Virginia opened a Hallmark card shop in the new lake
Air Mall. Later they moved to Austin in 1985 and expanded to several stores.
Some of the Lake streets were named after one of the developers such as
Virginia street. We suppose this one was named after Mrs. Nokes.

Obituary

George O. Nokes Jr. | Visit Guest Book
George O. Nokes Jr., born in Navarro County, Texas, Nov. 19, 1923, the only
child of the late George Nokes Sr. and Maggie Nokes, died in Austin, Nov.
18, 2011. Funeral services will be 3 p.m. Sunday, Nov. 20, in the Chapel of
Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N. Lamar Blvd., Austin, officiated by
Dr. Doug Keenan. Burial will be 11 a.m. Monday, Nov. 21, at Waco Memorial
Park.

George was a student at Baylor University when WWII began. He later entered
the University of Texas and joined the Army Air Corps and served as a
bombardier on a bomber in the 8th Air Force in England. After WWII, he
returned to the University of Texas where he graduated from UT Law School in
the class of 1948. He practiced law in Corsicana and later in Waco.

Mr. Nokes was a member of the Texas House of Representatives and later in
the Texas Senate. George had a life-long interest in politics. He started
supporting President Lyndon B. Johnson while a student in 1948 and was a
delegate to several Democratic national conventions. He ran unsuccessfully
for Lt. Governor of Texas in 1958.

George was also active in Waco and in Tarrant County in development of
commercial real estate and residential subdivisions. In addition, he
organized a bank and a savings and loan association.

He and his wife both became multi-engine pilots and flew to the cities where
they had business interests. The couple owned a chain of Hallmark card shops
in a number of cities in Texas and Oklahoma.

In Waco, George was partner in the development of Lake Air Shopping Mall and
the Lake Air Tower, a ten story condo.

George and Virginia retired in January of 1985 and moved to Austin. They
became active in UT programs. George served on the U.T. Women’s Athletic
Council. He also is a life member of the Longhorn Foundation and of the
Advisory Board of the Texas Union.

George and Virginia have established a number of scholarships for UT
students in the Communications Department, through the Texas Ex-Students
Association, and the UT Women’s Basketball program (this in honor of
Virginia).

George and Virginia were active in the continuing education program at the
University of Texas and helped organize the program called LAMP (Learning
Activities for Mature People). The program has grown over 22 years from 100
members to over 1,500 members.

George is survived by his wife, Virginia Nokes of Austin; three children,
Jim Nokes and wife, Carrol, of Arlington, Jack Nokes and wife, Jill, of
Austin, and Laura Nokes Pattillo and husband, Denny, of Waco; six
grandchildren, Callan Nokes and wife, Kelli, of Austin, Cameron Nokes and
wife, Hannah, of Austin, Wren Nokes of Austin, Claire Nokes of Austin, Chuck
Plumhoff and wife, Corinne, of New York City, and Jamie Plumhoff and wife,
Susan, of Waco; and four great-granddaughters, Carter, Hunter, Presley and
Eloise Nokes, all of Austin.

His sons and grandsons will serve as pallbearers.