Houston Lou Cozart

Services for Houston Cozart will be held at Daugherty Street Church of Christ in Eastland on August 8th, 2022, visitation will be at 1:00 pm and the funeral will follow at 2:00 pm.

Houston Cozart, age 96, of Carbon passed from this life peacefully on the evening of August 4, 2022 at his home surrounded by his family.

Houston was born November 28, 1925 in Lusk, Texas to Blueford and Ellen Loyd Cozart. He was the seventh child of eight in his family. Houston married his sweetheart, Dorothy Barton, in 1943. They had three children together, David Wayne , Gayla Jean, and Tommy Houston, that they raised in Breckenridge and later in Carbon. After Dorothy’s passing in 2006, Houston was devastated to lose the love of his life. He didn’t think he could love again but then he met Martha Burns. He and Martha had many years of companionship and love. He loved her family dearly, as she loved his. They enjoyed going to musicals, church, out to eat, playing dominoes, and just spending time together. Most aren’t so lucky to find a great love twice in a lifetime, but he did with Martha. Houston was known for being a hard worker all his life. He worked in the fire department and police force in Breckenridge many years. He also worked for Southern Airways in Mineral Wells, farmed peanuts around Carbon, and most recently drove a dump truck doing dirt work. Of all the things Houston was good at, being a Papa was his best role.

Houston (Papa) left his family and friends with countless wonderful memories they will cherish forever. His children knew him as not only a father but also a true friend that was always there for them. Each one of them will tell you he was their best friend. He supported them in everything they did and worked alongside them to make their dreams come true. There was no task too big for him to undertake for his children’s happiness. When grandchildren came along, Papa made sure each grandchild had a special relationship with him, but he also was known to be this way with everyone he met. Everyone at Daugherty Street Church of Christ can attest to this. He attended there for many years and was loved and admired by everyone. He made everyone he knew feel so special and loved. Some of the ways he showed his grandchildren love were to attend every event they participated in, take them on camping trips, and he was never too tired to build a snowman or a campfire, and to play with the kids. He loved decorating for Christmas and Halloween for the grandchildren. He has done things like build a sandbox for some of the little boys that loved playing in the dirt, built a snowman for a special little girl when she was sick and couldn’t go outside and help with it, and has built more treehouses than we could keep up with. He has been a nurse so many times to everyone in the family when they were ill. He was quick to grab the heating pad, mercurochrome, Pepto Bismol, or Campho-Phenique, which were his drugs of choice. No one was more nurturing than Papa. He must have learned this trait from his caring father and siblings because his mother passed when he was only a toddler. He would spend five minutes tucking you into bed and making sure your feet were covered well so they wouldn’t be cold. Sometimes it was so tightly you couldn’t move, but you were warm!

When the great-grandchildren were born, Papa didn’t slow down a bit. He continued pulling the kids on a towel all around the house for hours on end. You knew when Papa pulled into the driveway you should grab the biggest towel in the house because he would soon be giving the babies a ride on the towel. He might have driven a dump truck all day and then spread gravel with a shovel, but it never stopped him from being the fun Papa.

Next came the great-great-grandchildren., some of which were born very recently. The day before he died, he met the youngest one while bedfast and he said to, “be sure to wake him up when she got there.” This was also the day he felt better than he had in a while and was able to enjoy so many visitors and be loved on all day. We like to think that God gave him and all of us a special day to remember instead of all of the sickness he had to endure. We are so grateful for all of the days with Papa but especially this one because we got to send him off to Heaven assured he was loved with all our hearts. Papa left us all the greatest gift in making sure each of his family knew Jesus Christ and was saved and baptized. This was included in our last prayer with him that we are so blessed that he raised his family to have salvation in Christ.

Houston was preceded in death by his wife Dorothy, his parents Blueford and Ellen, siblings Delbert Cozart, Austin Cozart, Leman Cozart, Ralph Cozart, Hattie Boggs, Gladys Wells, and Ethel Swan, their spouses, and many other extended family members. He is survived by his children, David Cozart and wife Jeanene ,Gayla Stacy and husband Terry ,and Tommy Cozart and wife Doris , all of which reside in Carbon. He is also survived by his grandchildren Carlton Cozart, Pam Smith, Jennifer Stacy Cecil, Angela Kellar, Bradlee Stacy, Tracy Rutledge along with each of their spouses. Also survived by great-grandchildren Mark Smith, Samantha Plowman, Trevor Twitchell, McKennon Cecil, Deric Stacy, Tanner Twitchell, Kennedy Cecil Doggett, Hailee Stacy, Rhett Rutledge, Tessa Rutledge, Rhyse Rutledge, Hanna Kellar, and Halle Kellar, along with spouses of those who are married. Surviving great-great grandchildren are Cole Plowman, Adyson Plowman, Tallon Twitchell, Tynlee Stacy, Taryn Twitchell, Trae Twitchell, Kopelyn Stacy , and Madilyn Barerra.

He is also survived by his loving companion, Martha Burns and her beautiful family.