Harrell Hicks

Weslaco-Herbert Harrell Hicks (Harrell) passed away on Tuesday, August 1, 2023. Harrell was born in Canton, Texas, the son of John B. Hicks and Faye E. Link on August 14, 1941. In his younger years, Harrell's family moved to Abilene, TX, and later to several east Texas towns and settled in Texarkana, TX, where Harrell would finish his elementary and high school education. Harrel started college at Texas Wesleyan University in Ft. Worth, TX., and two years later transferred to East TX State in Commerce, TX. As a senior in college, Harrel realized he would be drafted before graduation, so he enlisted in the U. S. Army before getting his draft notice. He was honored to serve his country. 

 As a brand new Private, Harrell's first assignment for basic training was Ft. Polk in Louisiana, and from there to Ft. Bliss in El Paso for advanced training with a Hawk Missile Unit. In 1963, he was assigned to a Hawk Missile Unit in Korea as a Sergeant. Harrell was discharged after that year in Korea and returned to his hometown of Texarkana for a few months.

Next, he moved to Dallas and earned a BBA from East Texas State University while in the U.S. Army Reserves. There he met Tommie Sue Lovelace, and after a short courtship, they were married on May 1, 1965. Harrell felt all along that he wanted to go into some phase of the ministry, so in June 1965, he was accepted and entered Perkins School of Theology on the SMU Campus in Dallas. Three years later, he received his Bachelor of Divinity and was ordained as a minister in the United Methodist Church. 

Harrell requested the Methodist church assign him to the U.S. Army as a Protestant chaplain, which they did. The Army sent him to the Army Chaplain school in Ft. Hamilton, NY. 

In September of 1968, as a brand new army captain and chaplain, his first actual assignment was – guess where – Ft. Polk, Louisiana as a troop chaplain. He felt like –"Been there, done that!" But he loved being a troop chaplain. In May of 1969, he received orders for Viet Nam. By then, Harrell and Tommie Sue had two very young children, and she and the toddlers moved to Big Spring, TX, to be near her parents while Harrell spent his year in "Nam." 

He served two different units while in Nam. For the first six months, he was assigned to an Infantry Division where he would go out into the jungle and hold services wherever the troops were. Harrell's second unit in Nam was with a transportation Group.  

When he returned to the United States, Harrell's first assignment was with a Military Police Unit at Presidio of San Francisco. From there, he was chosen to go to Chapman College in Orange, CA, and earned a Master's Degree in Counseling and Child Psychology.

The following two years were one-year tours each and then a two-year assignment at the Pentagon. The family thought Northern Virginia was one of the prettiest locations they had lived. Northern Virginia is beautiful. However, Harrell's Pentagon tour was different – he was not assigned chapel or counseling responsibilities. After two years, he left the Pentagon and was assigned to Patrick Air Force Base in Melbourne, Fl.  Tommie Sue, son Steve, and daughter Kathy loved this assignment. They lived two blocks from the ocean and had a pool in the backyard, but the neatest thing for the kids was living in one place for four years and making some terrific friends.   

However, it was time for Harrell and his family to decide whether to continue military life or retire after the next assignment. Harrell negotiated an appointment to Ft. Sam Houston in San Antonio, TX, stipulating that he be assigned there if he accepted a year assignment to Korea. So he moved the family to San Antonio, leaving for a year to Korea. The Army kept its word and assigned Harrell four years at Ft. Sam Houston. The family enjoyed their four years in San Antonio, where Steve and Kathy graduated from Clark High School. 

 In Sep. 1986, Harrell retired from the U.S. Army after 23 years. He always felt he did his best to serve God, his Country, and Humankind. After retiring from the military, the family stayed in San Antonio, where Harrell started a new career in the non-profit field. He was CEO of the Mental Health Association of San Antonio for almost four years. Then, he was with the Salvation Army of San Antonio for six years as Development Director. 

By this time, the kids were ready to "leave the nest," so in late 1994, Harrell and Tommie Sue decided to "leave their nest" also!! They sold their house and most of their "things," bought a 37' 5th wheel R.V. in January 1995, left San Antonio in their R.V., and never looked back. Full-time R.V.ing Was for them - and they did it for 18 years and loved every minute of that time. After selling their last R.V. in 2019, they bought a house in Bulverde, Texas, and lived there for six years until moving to Weslaco and living at John Knox Village retirement community – the best-kept secret in the Rio Grande Valley.

Harrell is survived by his wife of 58 years, Tommie Sue (Lovelace) Hicks of John Knox Village, Weslaco, son Stephen W. Hicks of Seguin, Texas; daughter Kathleen M. Tate (William Tate) of Seguin; two grandsons,  Roy Tate of New Braunfels and Wyatt Tate of Seguin and brother Robert R. Hicks (wife Sue) of Oklahoma City, Okla. Harrell was preceded in death by his parents, John and Faye Hicks. Harrell's life will be celebrated on August 12, 2023, at 2:00 p.m. at John Knox.  

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Parkinson's Foundation.