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Saturday, January 25, 2025
10:00 - 11:00 am (Central time)
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)
Monday, January 27, 2025
Starts at 1:15 pm (Central time)
A giant has fallen asleep............
Jesse L. Shead, was born on January 14, 1947 to the parents of Charles J. and Annie Mae Shead (both preceded in death) in Austin, Texas. Jesse was the youngest of three children: Charles Arthur and Gloria Wilson.
Jesse attended public schools in Austin, Tx., L.L. Campbell Elementary, Kealing Jr. High, and L.C. Anderson High School. Jesse was a very active student, finishing #9 in his class. Jesse was also a pretty good basketball player!
Upon graduating from Anderson High in 1965, Jesse attended the University of Texas in Austin where he was a walk-on on the freshman basketball team. He immediately became a member of the starting five but was sidelined because of an injury. Unfortunately, because of the injury, he lost financial aid to attend school and had to leave school.
After leaving UT, Jesse joined the Air Force in 1966 but was shortly thereafter given an Honorable Discharge due to the injury.
Jesse enrolled at Huston-Tillotson College there in Austin where he met Barbara Jackson. This relationship turned out to be the start of the Jesse and Barbara Shead family. They were married in June 1968.
Additionally, in 1968 Jesse was hired at Humble Oil and Refinery in Baytown, Texas (eventually name changed to Exxon Refinery).
While employed with Exxon Refinery, Jesse began his employment as a process operator at the SO2 plant. Jesse was often asked to fill in as supervisor on occasion and after several years, was promoted to first-line supervisor. Within a few years of being asked to fill in for the Shift Superintendent, he was promoted into the permanent position as a Shift Superintendent, responsible for the safe and efficient operation of the entire refinery. The Baytown Refinery, at that time, was the largest refinery in the United States and the second largest refinery in the world. Jesse was the first Black ever to be promoted to Shift Superintendent. He remained in that position for eleven years. He received several certificates of appreciation for his work as Shift Superintendent and the refinery administration was very pleased with his work.
After 20 years of shift work, he was transferred to the main office building (MOB) in Baytown where he took over as Second Line Supervisor of the main office. His primary responsibilities were to make sure the main office was operating properly.
After 14 years at the main office, he retired in 2002 from Exxon Refinery.
Not only was Jesse an exemplary employee, he also cared about his community and the youth in the community. He coached several city league football teams for children. Jesse had an unsuccessful run for the Board of Regents for Lee College, supported by Emmett Hutto, Mayor of Baytown and State Rep. Preston Pearson. Jesse served on a special City of Baytown Planning Commission to research and develop an official report that provided guidance to the City to begin developing Baytown’s portion of the Houston Ship Channel for tourist that included building hotels and restaurants.
Jesse was interviewed for a TCU collection entitled Civil Rights in Black and Brown, provided to The Portal to Texas History by the TCU Mary Couts Burnett Library.
With all of these accolades however, Jesse’s love was music! He loved all genres of music but his heart, however, resonated most deeply with gospel music. Saturdays at the Shead house was cleaning day, it was not uncommon for him to be playing the music so loud that you could hear it outside and the gospel greats would be blasting. Jesse would be singing and directing in the air. He celebrated music in all its forms, from classical symphonies to soulful blues and vibrant jazz. But when he directed gospel music, it was as if the heavens opened. His dedication of 25+ yrs. to Mt. Calvary MBC and the choirs he directed there captured his heart and its uplifting power inspired audiences and performers alike, leaving an indelible mark on everyone fortunate enough to work with him. Jesse finally retired from directing due to his health in 2019.
On January 12, 2025, Jesse was called to heaven to direct the heavenly choir and sit at the Holy Trinity’s feet to sing Holy! Holy! Holy! to the highest!
Jesse is survived by his wife, Barbara Louise Jackson Shead, his brother Charles Shead (Gloria Mitchell Shead) and sister Gloria Wilson, his daughter Demetria R. Fairley, his son Kevin T. Shead (LaTanya), and his son Gregory D. Shead, and a special cousin/son Christopher McGaughey (Leslie). Jesse also leaves his grandchildren, Carlton Fairley, Jr. (Marilyn), Brittney Fairley, Adriane Fairley, Bridgette Goudeau, Jaime Alfred, DeVante Brooks, Destiny Coleman, Dylan Coleman, and Kevin Shead, Jr. Jesse and Barbrara raised their grandson Gregory Shead, Jr., who preceded him in death. Jesse also leaves 4 great grandchildren. And he leaves a host of nieces and nephews and family friends. As he was a kind, nurturing father and grandfather, there were also many family friends that "adopted” him as their father, grandfather and uncle. The family would like to thank LaQueeta Shay Johnson for taking loving care of him in his final days. And finally, never forgotten is his long close friend that was his “ride or die” from school in Austin to his final days “Uncle Reginald (Reggie) Carter”.
Jesse leaves behind a legacy that will forever echo in our hearts.
Saturday, January 25, 2025
10:00 - 11:00 am (Central time)
Memorial Baptist Church
Saturday, January 25, 2025
Starts at 11:00 am (Central time)
Memorial Baptist Church
Monday, January 27, 2025
Starts at 1:15 pm (Central time)
Houston National Cemetery
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