John Bruce 'Jack' Erwin, Sr.

Memorial service for John Bruce Erwin, Sr. will be announced at a later date. Mr. Erwin, 88, of Natchitoches, Louisiana, died Thursday, January 22, 2009, at Natchitoches Regional Medical Center in Natchitoches, LA. He was a native of Jacksboro, TX and was a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin, School of Architecture in 1941. He was a veteran of World War II and the Korean Conflict serving in the U.S. Navy. He was a past commander of the Dallas Commandery No.6 Knights Templar in Dallas, TX. He was the architect for the Jack County Hospital in Jacksboro, TX, the Congregation Tiferet Israel Building in Dallas, TX and also the educational building, fellowship hall and Chapel of Silence of Cochran Chapel United Methodist Church in Dallas, TX. He was a violin maker and entered instruments in the Wieniawski International Violin Making Competitions in Poland. He is listed in Henley's Universal Dictionary of Violin and Bow Makers. Recently, one of his violins was given to Mariusz Patyra as a prize for being the winner of the 2001 Paganini Violin Competition in Genoa, Italy. He was a member of the Violin Makers Society of America and the Watercolor Society of America. His watercolor paintings have been selected by the National Trust for Historical Preservation in 2000 as an Official Project of "Save America's Treasures." He is listed in Grauer & Grauer's Dictionary of Texas Artists, 1800-1945. He has had numerous art shows some of them being in California, others at the Dallas Art Museum, Dallas Public Library, and in 2007 his paintings and instruments were shown as "True Texas Art" at Tarleton State University's Dora Lee Langdon Cultural and Educational Center in Granbury, TX. Erwin has had two art shows at the Orville Hanchey Art Gallery at NSU. Since moving to Natchitoches, he has attended all the City Council meetings and was a supporter of the Natchitoches-Northwestern Symphony Orchestra. His elder son and daughter play on Erwin violins as well as the 2008-09 concertmaster of the NNSO. He is preceded in death by his parents, John S. Erwin and Edd Mahanay Erwin; one brother, Edward Erwin. He is survived by his wife of 59 years, Ella Webster Erwin of Natchitoches, LA; one daughter, Sue Rodriguez and husband Galindo of Natchitoches; two sons, Bruce Erwin and wife Joanne of Oberlin, OH and George Erwin-Grotsky and his life partner Jay Erwin-Grotsky of Austin, TX; two grandchildren, Emily Erwin and Josie Rodriguez; two sisters-in-law, Mozy Erwin of Haltom City, TX and Carolyn Webster of Dallas, TX.