Jeffrey Allen Stark

Jeffrey Allen Stark of Grapevine, Texas passed away peacefully on July 3, 2025 shortly after his 92nd birthday. He was born June 20, 1933 in Albany, New York to Charles and Elizabeth Stark. Charles, an architect who was a contractor designing bases for the US military, moved the family to Virginia, Florida, and later to Queens, NY, where Jeff met his future wife, Lola Legg, and attended New York University, earning his BA in History in 1954. Jeff and Lola wed on April 12, 1955 followed immediately by his deployment to the US Army 47th Infantry in Neu Ulm, Germany where the couple spent the first few years of their marriage. Afterward, they returned to New York where Jeff began working at New York Life Insurance Company. A company aptitude test qualified him for a new training program involving computers, and his career as a computer programmer began. He earned an MBA from NYU, got a job with IBM and moved his family, which now included their two children Randy and Laura, to Carmel, NY, followed by Boulder, CO, Austin, TX, and finally, Grapevine in 1987. He retired from IBM shortly after, then worked for a few years for FoxMeyer, volunteering at Harris Methodist Hospital upon his final retirement.

Over their 69-year marriage, Jeff and Lola enjoyed many activities together, including traveling to historic places and natural wonders, ballroom dancing, and attending concerts and shows. Avid bridge players, Jeff and Lola were members of a church bridge group for many years, even taking the passion on vacation on specialized cruises. At home, Jeff enjoyed gardening, building model ships, reading, and especially studying Civil War History, attending lectures and visiting many battlefields over the years. "Pa" to his grandkids, Jeff made many cherished memories building Lego sets with them, playing games on Sundays, and going on family vacations, including to LegoLand and Disney. A highlight each year was the new Lego addition to his Christmas display, complete with motorized train sets, which eventually took almost half of the living room. He is a beloved Father and Grandfather and will be greatly missed.

Jeff is survived by his son and daughter-in-law Randy and Jennifer Stark of Euless, and daughter Laura McClure of Grapevine, his grandchildren Kevin McClure, Matthew McClure, Marie Stark, and Ryan Stark, and his brother Bruce Stark of Denham Springs, LA. He was preceded in death by his parents, Charles and Elizabeth Stark, and his wife Lola Stark. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, August 9th, at 11:00am at First Presbyterian Church in Grapevine. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Mercy Corps.