Obituary of John Earl Isom

Our beloved John Earl Isom, age 92, was called home to our Heavenly Father on Tuesday, August 17, 2021. He was preceded in death by his wife of 33 years, Patricia Isom; his parents, John Christopher Isom and Gladys Ida Cole; and by his son-in-law, Joe Segovia, Jr.

John Earl Isom was born in Dallas, Texas on May 21, 1929, at Baylor Hospital, and lived there for several years through elementary school. He remembered that in first grade, that one day when school was dismissed, that everyone would race across the street to a big public playground. John believed God saved him from being hit by a car that early in his life. His family moved to Waco when he was in fifth grade. He was thirteen years old when he was baptized.

With this public profession of his belief in God, he emerged from the water a faithful servant. John finished Waco High in 1946 and moved to Austin to begin a degree in business at the University of Texas. John joined the Theta Xi fraternity where he was house manager. There he gained experience in hiring people and managing a business. He proudly played the clarinet in the UT band. He also regrets remembering a trip to see Texas beat TCU in Fort Worth at TCU’s stadium. He got drunk on that trip, and that’s where he learned about alcohol! In 1952, John finished his BBA and entered graduate school also at the University of Texas at Austin.

Before long, the Korean war had begun and the draft was after him, so he chose to enlist in the Navy, and went on to Officer Candidate School. A physical accident in the New England ski slopes changed his direction in the Navy, and he became a seaman on the U.S.S Columbus, a navy cruiser. He was discharged from the Navy in May of 1954.

Would you believe God’s plan was to meet Patricia, his wife to be? John and Pat married in Newburyport, Massachusetts, in December of 1953, by a Presbyterian minister. John & Pat eventually came home to Austin to be around his folks. John’s 1st work pleasure of accounting led him to work as an accountant for the Texas Liquor Control Board in San Antonio, TX. A negative of this endeavor was having to travel, so he took training at Sears in Houston to sell AllState Insurance in San Antonio. He was transferred to Austin after his son Tom was born in 1955 and worked in Sears on 9th & Congress on the first of two floors. John was not happy and became an outside claims solicitor for Central Freight Lines in 1956. John & Pat were finally happier than they had ever been. One of the clients he called on for freight was Hill Book Bindery on 29th street, and he started working there as their traveling salesman for Texas in 1957. This lasted for a couple of years while the business really grew and prospered, but with no increase for the Isoms. His daughter Pam was born in 1958, and in February of 1960, they moved to Abilene so that he could become the librarian in the business section of a new library.

His daughter Brenda was born in 1966, and then he went on the road calling on high school seniors for commercial college abilene. They moved to Midland, Odessa, where he was the manager of a community college. In 1969, they moved back to Austin, and John worked in real estate. He worked for Duncan Business Machines, where he sold business equipment to people, including the original owners of the first Taco Bells. John & Pat decided to open their own business based on audio cassette tape listening, named Reliable Communications, while he also worked part-time doing radio advertisements on KIXL, Christian Yellow Pages and Manna Media. He had been listening to God in the car when he traveled all over Texas to pick up bindings of books, and this is what inspired their business. He told Pat he was going to pastors to get them to record their services, and he was going to a fraternity brother who was the executive manager of Texas Life Underwriters for help. This could have been a longer story, but instead God blessed their efforts. Pat worked outside the meeting room and he recorded inside. They then went to doctors and eventually were serving everyone but CPA’s and dentists. In between these meetings, he called on Christian bookstores to sell Bibles on tape. Bookstores and associations began to keep John & Pat’s business busy and prosperous. He was widowed in September of 1985 when his wife, Patricia went to be with Jesus. When his son Tom was changing careers with his accounting degree and working out of John’s offices, he went to John and proposed taking over his business in order to set John free so that he could do other things. Now the "other things", as Tom was paying John monthly for the business, were as follows... he began to volunteer at Brackenridge Hospital on 15th street, and at St.Davids on 183. That didn’t fill his week, so he took training and volunteered to share the Bible’s teachings at two different prison systems here in Central Texas. As he aged, he began to slow down and changed volunteering activities. His main activity was the Bible distribution of Greg Lowery’s New Believers Bible, in soft cover. If you feel inclined to help others understand and know God the creator and his son Jesus, then this Bible will help you help others to believe in him and help others in this human life. 

List of Lessons:
1. Business can be many kinds
2. Business will last only as long as more money is coming in than going
3. Don't worry about the NOs, just keep looking for the YESES
4. Do what you like to do
5. Everything is based on money, but look for God in whatever you choose and he will guide you

John is survived by his children, Thomas Earl Isom (Dewana), Pamela Jean Steward (John Michael), and Brenda Gay Segovia; grandchildren, Sarah Sherard (Brandon), Garett Christopher Isom (Heather), Brandon Michael Steward (Sara), Britnee Kristel Gifford, Ashley Galdo (Andres), Stephanie Murphy (Ryan), and Gabriella Segovia (Bayler Jordan); great-grandchildren, Kynzi Isom, Mason Parker Steward, Micah Nasche, Makenna Nasche, Trulee Gifford, Noah Andres Galdo, and one on the way; as well as numerous other loving family members and friends.

Serving as pallbearers will be Red Agans,Tom Isom, Garett Isom, Bayler Jordan, Don Jordan, Ryan Murphy, Brandon Steward, and John Steward.

Visitation will be held from 10:00 a.m. - 12:00 p.m., on Friday, August 27, 2021, at Mission Funeral Home - East Side, 1615 E. Cesar Chavez St., Austin, Texas. A Funeral Service will begin at 12:00 p.m., following Visitation. Interment will follow at Cook-Walden Memorial Hill Cemetery, Pflugerville, Texas.

Services will be live-streamed to allow those unable to attend to participate.  Follow link to Facebook Live Mission - East Side

Due to the Coronavirus/COVID-19 Restrictions from the City of Austin,

capacity levels are restricted at funeral homes, churches, and cemeteries.

We politely request the continued use of face coverings in an effort to

help protect our community.   If you are ill or are concerned about the virus,

it is recommended that you not attend services. 

The family is so grateful to everyone for their understanding, love, and support

during this very difficult time.