Obituary: El Paso entrepreneur Jack Cardwell dies
Editor's Note: This story was published by El Paso Matters as a special to El Paso Matters.
James A. "Jack" Cardwell, 89, a great loving husband, father, grandfather and friend, went to be with his Heavenly Father on Jan. 23. Jack was born on March 1, 1932, to Agnes Godwin and Aubrey Cardwell in Poplar Bluff, Missouri.
From 1952-1954 he served in the United States Army, which brought him to El Paso. In the fall of 1952, he met the woman of his dreams, Martha Evonne Emmett, who passed Aug. 10, 2019, just two weeks shy of their 66th wedding anniversary.
Jack's decades-long entrepreneurship began with Jack's Super Service in 1954, continued with the El Paso Truck Terminal in 1965, and then on to Petro Stopping Centers in 1975, which were known for their customer-friendly innovations. He operated Petro successfully until its sale in 2007. Jack was recently honored in 2021 by Chevron for his 60 years as a Chevron dealer and marketer with C&R Distributing.
Jack received El Paso Inc.’s El Paso Community Spirit Award in 2007 and is known for his philanthropy throughout the El Paso region, notably through the Cardwell Family Foundation. He was a humble man and quietly helped many in the El Paso community through the years. His life was firmly planted in the belief that a relationship with Jesus Christ was the most important thing someone could have. He was a founding member of Westside of Church of Christ and served there for much of his adult life.
Jack is survived by his three children, Cindi Andrews, Tina Hatch, and Jim (Julie) Cardwell; his seven grandchildren, Nathan Roberson (Rashida), Natalie Kunzman (Nick), Richie Hatch (Shelly), Bethany Hatch, Gabrielle Anderson (Luke), Trey Cardwell, and Ashley Whittle (Braxton); seven great-grandchildren, Tristan, Trevor, Troy, Noah, Ryker, Sarah, and Ezekiel; his sister Wanda Tydingco Clark; and numerous nephews and nieces
A service for friends is pending. Jack requested a private funeral service with his family. The family wishes to thank all of those who cared for him, especially those in recent months. In lieu of flowers, Jack requested that any donations be made to your favorite charity or to the El Paso Community Foundation, PO Box 272, El Paso, TX 79943 or at epcf.org/JackCardwell.
This article first appeared on El Paso Matters and is republished here under a Creative Commons license.
