Troy Joseph Scroggins, 83, passed away June 26, 2022, in San Antonio. He was born April 26, 1939, in San Antonio, the only child of Troy Scroggins and Zuzanna Rakowitz Scroggins. He was the grandson of one of the original Polish settlers of Panna Maria, Texas, and builder of the Church of the Annunciation of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Saint Hedwig, Texas. He was very proud of his Polish roots and of being from Texas.
Troy Joseph attended various schools in San Antonio, spending nine years in institutions of the Oblates of Mary Immaculate. He was attending seminary to be a priest but left to care for his ill mother and didn’t return. He received a B.A. degree in Latin and English and later an M.A. in English from Our Lady of the Lake University.
He taught American History, English, and Latin in various public high schools in the San Antonio area for 18 years, from 1963-81. Then he worked for AT&T Yellow Pages for 20 years in San Antonio, Dallas and Saint Louis. He retired in 2002.
While in San Antonio, Troy Joseph sang in the SA Liederkrantz, a men’s German chorale. He also liked listening to symphony, concerts, classical music, and opera. On occasion, he translated Latin text in the music for the Dallas Orchestra director. He enjoyed art museums, traveling, reading, genealogy and history, especially Texas, photography, and taking pictures of courthouses, old buildings and Catholic churches. He joined the Panna Maria Historical Society and made memorial contributions in honor of his maternal great-grandparents.
A memorial rosary and mass was held at the Annunciation Church of the BVM in St Hedwig. The family asks that donations in his name be made to the Polish Heritage Center at Panna Maria, 13909 N. FM 81, PO Box 25; Panna Maria, Texas, 78144.