Obituary for Albert Leon Denard, Jr. at Piersall Funeral Directors (2024)

Albert Leon Denard Jr., also known as Al and fondly known by his family and close friends as "Big Al", of Abilene, Texas left our world to spend eternity with his Lord and Savior on Thursday, August 1, 2024, with his wife and children by his side.

Al was born on January 17, 1939, in Wilkes County, Georgia, to Albert Leon Denard Sr. and Nannie Bobo Denard, and grew up in Tignall, Georgia where he met his wife of 66 years, Jo Callaway Denard. In August of 1958, they were married, and their life of love, adventure and success began.

Al joined the Army National Guard while he was a Junior in High School at the age of 17 where he served until he received an Honorable Discharge on November 30, 1962. He graduated from the University of Georgia in Athens, Georgia in 1963 with a BA in Business. Al worked at Sears and managed two different departments there while attending the University and right after graduating until he took a position as a Stockbroker at Courts and Co. in Athens, Georgia. After Courts and Co. sold out, a new adventure moved Al and Jo and their two children to Roswell, New Mexico with a brief stop in Fort Stockton, Texas. While in Roswell, New Mexico, Al was Editor of Advertising at Quarter Horse Racing World magazine and later opened his own advertising company. While still in Roswell, Al started and ran the largest Swine Farrowing Operation in that area. In 1976, the family moved to Dublin, Texas.
While in Dublin, Al became the owner and editor of a local newspaper and was a very gifted writer.

Al was owner and operator of Demarco Oil and Gas founded in 1978 in Abilene, Texas, and he commuted from Dublin for several years before moving his family to Abilene in 1980 which he considered home.

Al was an extremely well-versed and well-read individual. There was not a topic that he did not know something about. If one of his loved ones happened to be interested in something that he lacked much knowledge in, Al would study and learn everything he could regarding that topic in order to stay closely engaged in their life. Al was a man of many talents, hobbies and interests that ranged from photography to camping to judging and participating in sheep dog trials to woodworking and building furniture to carving intricate, mostly western figures. He has raised and trained hunting dogs and working sheep and cattle dogs. He loved to read and enjoyed learning to play the guitar. From the time he got his first horse as a young boy, his love for horses never stopped. He had many horses throughout his lifetime.

All who knew Al would agree that he had a larger-than-life personality. He loved big! He was serious when the situation called for it, but he also had a very playful personality and quite a sense of humor. He was a jokester at times as many who had pranks played on them by Al can attest. Needless to say, he made friends everywhere he went, but the most important thing to him was his Christian faith and living for Jesus.

Al is survived by his wife, Jo Denard of Abilene, Texas; his daughter Leigh Denard Little and her husband, Steve Little of Southlake, Texas, and his son, A. L. Rocky Denard III and his wife, Missy of Abilene, Texas; Granddaughter, Ashleigh Hirtzel and her husband Michael Hirtzel and their two daughters, Abby and Shaleigh Hirtzel of Seminole, Florida; Grandson Steven John Little Jr. and his wife, Amanda, and their children, Brody, Addison and Hunter Little of Fort Worth, Texas; Grandson Austin Denard Little and his wife Morgan of Keller, Texas; Grandson Cameron Sharp of Abilene, Texas; Great-granddaughters Lainee and Bayleigh O'Dell of Abilene, Texas, and Claire Hall of Columbus, Indiana; Grandson Colby Simmons and his son and daughter, Keiton and Landri Simmons of Gordon, Texas. He is also survived by his sister JoAnn Danner of Danburg, Georgia, and his brother Ralph Denard and his wife, Mary Will of Tignall, Georgia as well as nephews and nieces and their families in Georgia.

Al was preceded in death by his father and mother and two brothers, Everett Denard and Garvin Denard all from Wilkes County, Georgia.

In lieu of flowers, the family would like for donations to be made in his honor to the ministry, New Beginnings Big Country, P. O. Box 4193, Abilene, Texas 79608 or online at: www.newbeginningsbigcountry.com. This ministry was started and is run by Al's daughter-in-law, Missy Denard of whom he was very proud.

Visitation will be Thursday, August 8th from 6:00pm until 8:00pm at Piersall Funeral Home, 733 Butternut St., Abilene, Texas. Graveside service will be Friday, August 9th at 11:00am at Potosi Cemetery, 2782 Potosi Rd., Abilene, Texas, with lunch and a Celebration of Life immediately following at the Potosi Community Center, 3042 Potosi Rd., Abilene, Texas. (Casual dress, no coats, as it is predicted to be a hot, Texas summer day!)