J.D. Hosea, Dead at 87

I read in the paper today that a friend of mine of long ago died two days ago.  His name is J. D. Hosea.  I haven't seen him since the late 1960s, almost 50 years ago,  but always had the highest regard for him.

J. D. was my boss at Sinclair Refining Company, before it was BP Oil Corporation.    He was a good, easy going supervisor, and we grew to be good friends.

He had been married almost 20 years when I went to work for Sinclair and for three years I sat across the desk from him and listened daily as he flirted and carried on with his wife.  He had a good relationship with her, as he did with his co-workers and the people who worked under him.

I have seen him lend his underlings a hundred dollars at the spur of the moment if he learned the guy was hard up for cash and other times go to the Fulton County Jail and get the same person out of jail.

Ellis was the person he catered to, lending money to and getting him out of jail, was a hard worker.  Ellis got the most out of his his weekends.

I remember one Monday morning somebody called in behalf of Ellis to tell us he was in jail again.  J.D. was on vacation.  Since I was J.D.'s assistant  it was up to me to do what J.D. would do, get Ellis out of the pokey.  I went down and learned that I needed to talk to a bonding company.  There were several bonding companies in a row conveniently just across the street.  I went to the first one and the owner told me I would have to put my house as collateral for him to put the money.  I said, "Like Hell!"  and left.  I was freshly married and we just bought our first house.  

I suppose J.D. had put his up his house for collateral in Ellis's behalf more than once, but not me.

Then Ellis got someone else to put the money and I was summoned again to pick him up, which I did.

A felt sad today when I read his obituary.   I know he will be missed.

J.D. Hosea was a good man.