Neuie Delemar Fountain

N.D. Fountain, 81, of Plano, Texas, died Thursday, Nov. 26, 2009, surrounded by his loving family in Kingwood, Texas. The ninth child of James Ezess and Effie Commilla Lee (Busby) Fountain, N.D. was raised in East Texas until he moved with his family to Dallas, Texas. He is survived by his wife of 62-years, Mildred Lee (Bell) Fountain; his two daughters, Linda Sue Beckham and her husband William John Beckham and Paula Kay Griffin and her husband Faron Gene Griffin; his six grandchildren; three great-grandchildren; his siblings Frank Ezess Fountain, James Leonard Fountain, and Betty Ann Spencer; and many close friends. He was preceded in death by four sisters, Nettie Irene Lee, Julia May Blasius, Pearlie Corine Stiefer, Panzy Lurene Sorrells, and two brothers, Arlis David Fountain and William Pitt Fountain.

Education was a priority to N.D. for himself as well as for his family. In his early years, he would ride his bicycle before school to a local dairy where he would milk ten cows before going to school. He graduated magna cum laude from Abilene Christian University with advanced degrees in Business Administration. He was proud to be a 32nd-degree Mason as a charter member of the James Ladd Burgess No. 1305 Masonic Lodge.

In 1950, N.D. joined the Dallas Fire Department where he retired in 1978. Over the years, his love of fire fighting led him to pursue and earn the rank of Battalion Chief.

Family will receive friends from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Monday, November 30, 2009 at Hunters Glen Baptist Church, 4001 Custer Road, Plano, Texas 75023. Funeral Services will be at 11:00 a.m., Tuesday, December 1, 2009 at Hunters Glen Baptist Church. Reverend Kim Hall will officiate. Pallbearers will be Firefighters from the Dallas Fire Department, and honorary pallbearers will be his sons-in-law, grandsons, and great grandson. Interment will follow at Grove Hill Cemetery, Dallas, TX.