John Mark Dumas was born on June 1, 1968, the youngest son of B.M. (Doc) and Melba Dumas.  He passed from this life on the morning of November 8, 2021, at the age of 53, surrounded by his family.  He is survived by his wife, Regena, and sons John Andrew and Jared Mark Dumas; his brother Gary Dumas and his wife Amy; his brother David Dumas and his wife Dean; nieces; nephews; and a host of family, friends and loved ones.  He was preceded in death by his parents.

John did things John's way.  He did not always take the most direct path, but he never quit.  After finishing high school in 1986, he began working on a two-year degree in Electronics while working for Texas Power & Light on a line crew and battling an illness. He had a determination that was evident in all aspects of his life.

After he completed his first degree, he decided to pursue an Electrical Engineering degree at University of Texas Arlington.  He transferred to Dallas in 1990 to work at the Texas Utilities System Operations Center through the co-op program.  He would tell you he quickly got tired of being poor, so he went to work full time while continuing his education at night. He completed his degree in Electrical Engineering and graduated in June of 1999.

John met Regena through some conspiring women and they were married in May of 1997. They had 2 sons, Andrew & Jared, of whom he was so proud.  He always wanted his family involved with the things he enjoyed.  He loved to hunt, fish, and travel, especially to the mountains.  John always took the boys with him when he hunted, even when they were just toddlers and didn't know how to be quiet in the deer stand.  Later in his life, John enjoyed duck hunting and shotgun sports. He went every chance he could, taking Andrew and Jared along with anyone else he could convince to go.

John loved his work in the electrical industry, working for 33 years combined for TXU, ERCOT and LCRA.  Among his accomplishments, he led the Nodal Market Implementation for the ERCOT grid.  Additionally, he was instrumental in the integration of Renewable Energy and was invited to speak at many conferences on that topic and collaborated on several published articles.  John ended his career at LCRA as a VP of Market Design and Initiative.  We often teased him that he talked for a living, and he could tell you more than you ever wanted to know about power systems.

John was diagnosed with Stage 4 colon cancer in 2015, and his life was forever changed.  He told his doctor, I will do whatever you tell me to do, and God will make up the difference.  He continued to work, hunt, and serve the Lord with everything he had.  In typical John fashion, doing things his way, he exceeded the doctor's expectations and was quick to give God the praise.  You didn't have to talk to him long before he let you know "prayer makes the difference."

Special thanks to Dr. Balasubramanian and the team at Texas Oncology and to Stephanie Trevino and Hospice Austin.

In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Tupelo Children's Mansion.