Brent Jay "Jack" Birkholz

Brent Jay (Jack) Birkholz, 74, of Amarillo, passed away on September 6, 2024. Private family graveside services will be held on Friday, September 13, 2024 at Memorial Park Cemetery with Jim McKee officiating. The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 PM on Thursday, September 12, 2024 at the funeral home. Arrangements are under the direction of Cox-Rowley Funeral Home.

Jack was born on November 6, 1949 in Oak Park, Illinois to William and Evelyn Mueller Birkholz, joining two year old sister, Blair. The family lived in Hillside Illinois, moved to Wausau, WI, then to Little Rock, AR in 1954. Jack graduated from Hall High School in Little Rock, Arkansas in 1967. He attended the University of Arkansas from 1967-1969 and the University of Denver, where he received his Bachelor of Accounting, Class of 1971. Jack’s early career included positions with a CPA firm in Golden, CO, Keystone Foods in Denver, then Jack moved to the Texas, working for Cattle Development Corporation in Amarillo. Jack began his career with Caviness Beef Packers in 1984, served as Chief Financial Officer, and remained with the company until retirement in 2016.

Jack married Pam Dandridge on October 22, 1988 in Amarillo. Pam brought into the marriage two daughters, Juli and Stephanie. Pam preceded her husband in death in 2008. Jack married Barbara Cowan on January 9, 2010. Barbara brought into the family, daughter Cristy, and sons, Eric and Adam.

As a child, Jack enjoyed riding his bicycle up and down the hills of Little Rock, his Honda motorcycle at 14, then getting a car at 16. Jack worked various jobs as a teenager including stocking supplies and customer assistance at a hunting/fishing supply store, dispensing medications at the local drugstore and delivering to customers on his motorcycle, and being a camera man at the local CBS TV news station. Jack enjoyed playing golf with his father.

As an adult, Jack was a Corvette enthusiast and enjoyed showing his 1971 Corvette, which won several trophies. Jack also loved driving his 1993 Corvette, and participating in the Power Tour to California, and National Corvette Road Tours to Colorado with friends Roger and Terry Rutar.

Jack was preceded in death by his parents, and his wife Pamela.

Survivors include his wife, Barbara Birkholz of the home; daughters and sons-in-law Stephanie and Ray Purcell of Dumas, TX, Juli and Marc Thurmond of Amarillo, Cristy Ainsworth of Amarillo; sons and daughters-in-law, Eric and Karmen Cowan of Geary, OK, and Adam and Sherry Cowan of Watonga, OK;  grandchildren Jason Purcell and wife Natalia of Dumas, Spencer Howard of Amarillo, Tatum Ainsworth, Landon Ainsworth, and Kason Ainsworth of Amarillo, Kinze and Keela Cowan of Watonga, and Mylah Pinter of Geary; great granddaughters Haven Purcell of Stillwater, OK, and Kennedi “Bob” Purcell of Dumas; sister Blair Christolon of Manassas, VA, and nephews Christopher Christolon and Niklas Christolon of Denver, CO.

In lieu of flowers, gifts may be made to:

Hillside Christian Church, Faithbuilders Class

6100 S. Soncy Road

Amarillo Texas 79119

Cody Owen’s Foundation

c/o Respite Care Fund

2209 Woodside Drive

Amarillo, TX 79124

(Respite Care for Alzheimer’s Families)

Gracie’s Project

PO Box 2512

Amarillo, TX 79105

Graciesproject21@yahoo.com

Panhandle Children’s Foundation, Inc.

PO Box 1541

Dumas, TX 79029

The charity/organization of your choice.