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TEXAS OBITUARIES (JULY 1997–JULY 1999)
(from the Texas Almanac 2000-2001)
Click on a letter to navigate the list.
A
Adkisson, Jack (Fritz Von Erich), 68; patriarch of wrestling’s famous and tragic Von Erich family; in Lake Dallas, Sept. 10, 1997.
Atwell, Ben “Jumbo,” 82; Democratic legislator 1951-75 from Dallas who wrote several tax bills during the 1960s that drew opposition from business interests; in Austin, June 29, 1998.
Autry, Gene, 91; the singing cowboy born in Tioga; besides his movie and television work, he was a sports team owner, broadcast tycoon and philanthropist; in Los Angeles, Oct. 2, 1998.
B
Barshop, Philip, 61; founded the La Quinta Inns chain with his brother; in San Antonio, Nov. 20, 1998.
Bass, Harry W. Jr., 71; oil executive who headed the Harry Bass Foundation, established by his father, which supported Dallas museums and charities; in Dallas, April 4, 1998.
Baxter, Norman E., 79; illustrator best known for his drawings of city skylines used as covers for the Southwestern Bell Yellow Pages for more than ten years; in Houston, Aug. 19, 1998.
Benavidez, Roy P., 63; retired Army master sergeant who received the Medal of Honor for his actions in the Vietnam War; in San Antonio, Nov. 29, 1998.
Bernal, Eloy, 61; Tejano star described as one of the great bajo sexto (12-string guitar) players and well-known Spanish gospel singers; in a bus accident near Corpus Christi, April 22, 1998.
Blocker, John R., 76; Houston oilman and former Texas A&M University regent, contributor to Aggie causes; in Houston, Jan. 1, 1999.
Bode, Mary Jane, 71; a former state representative and longtime Texas newswoman; in Barrington, Ill., while visiting her daughter, Sept. 23, 1998.
Bradley, Tom, 80; former mayor of Los Angeles was born in Calvert; in Los Angeles, Sept. 29, 1998.
Bullock, Bob, 69; former Democratic lieutenant governor who crafted state policy for four decades; in Austin, June 18, 1999.
Bustin, John, 70; covered Austin entertainment for more than 50 years, 24 of those with the Austin American-Statesman; in Austin, April 8, 1998.
Butler, Joe Kelly, 87; Houston oilman, former chairman of the Texas State Board of Education and the Texas Board of Mental Health and Mental Retardation; in Houston, Sept. 19, 1998.
Byrd, James Jr., 49; victim whose brutal killing generated national attention as a racially-motivated act; in Jasper, June 7, 1998.
C
Cantu, Camilo, 90; accordion legend inducted into the Conjunto Hall of Fame in 1987; in Austin, March 3, 1998.
Chapa, Alfonso, 68; retired 4th Court of Appeals chief justice; in San Antonio, Aug. 28, 1998.
Cox, Murray, 86; farm reporter whose programs were broadcast from Dallas for more than 30 years; in Houston, March 28, 1999.
D
Dealey, Rev. Walter Allen Jr., 83; grandson of Dallas Morning News founder George Bannerman Dealey, an executive at the newspaper who became a Presbyterian minister; in Terrell, March 1999.
Decherd, Isabelle Thomason, 81; daughter of prominent Texas politician Robert Ewing Thomason, wife of former chairman of A.H. Belo Corp. H. Ben Decherd, and mother of Dealey Decherd Herndon and Robert W. Decherd, Belo directors; in Austin, Oct. 10, 1998.
David Woo Dominique de Menil
De Menil, Dominique, 89; heiress to the Schlumberger oil field service company fortune; world famous art collector, philanthropist and advocate for human rights; in Houston, Dec, 31, 1997.
Denver, John, 53; singer graduated from Arlington Heights High School, Fort Worth; attended Texas Tech University; wrote songs “Rocky Mountain High” and “Take Me Home, Country Roads”; in a plane crash off California, Oct. 12, 1997.
E
East, Alice Kleberg, 104; last surviving grandchild of Capt. Richard King, founder of the King Ranch; in Hebbronville, Sept, 6, 1997.
Edington, Andrew, 84; president emeritus of Schreiner College who headed the institute from 1950 until his retirement in 1971; in Kerrville, April 9, 1998.
Ewell, Yvonne A., 71; educator and Dallas school trustee beginning in 1987; in Dallas, April 27, 1998.
F
Farah, William, 78; longtime head of the El Paso-based Farah garment manufacturing company founded by his parents; in El Paso, March 9, 1998.
Richard Michael Pruitt James Farmer
Farmer, James L. Jr., 79; Marshall native was among the leaders of the civil rights movement of the 1950s and ’60s as co-founder of the Congress of Racial Equality; in Fredericksburg, Va., July 9, 1999.
Flato, Paul, 98; Shiner native whose jewelry stores in New York and Beverly Hills served celebrity clients; in the 1970s he established a store in Mexico City, returning to Texas in 1990; in Fort Worth, July 17, 1999.
Folkers, Karl, 91; University of Texas professor who pioneered in vitamin research; first Texan named to the National Academy of Sciences in 1948; Dec. 9, 1997.
Fountaine, Fred, 73; chief cook at Louie Mueller’s Barbecue in Taylor for 32 years; in Taylor, June 13, 1998.
Friedman, Bayard, 71; former Fort Worth mayor, founding member of the DFW airport board and former chairman of the Texas Christian University board of trustees; in Fort Worth, Oct. 3, 1998.
G
Goland, Martin, 78; steered Southwest Research Institute into an internationally renowned organization; in San Antonio, Oct. 29, 1997.
Gorham, Dean, 84; helped establish Texas’ municipal retirement system and served as director for 32 years; in Austin, June 19, 1999.
Gottlieb, Dick, 73; popular Houston broadcaster, former city council member and mayoral candidate; in Houston, Aug. 29, 1997.
H
Harrington, Sybil, 89; philanthropist from Amarillo, benefactor to many civic projects in the Texas Panhandle; in Phoenix. Ariz., Sept. 17, 1998.
Harte, Janet, 75; philanthropist who championed human rights and environmental protection; in Corpus Christi, Feb. 23, 1999.
Holtz, Mark, 51; broadcaster, “voice of the Texas Rangers” for 17 seasons; from leukemia and bone marrow disease; in Dallas, Sept. 7, 1997.
Humphrey, William, 73; Clarksville native wrote best-selling Home from the Hill and twelve other books; in Hudson, N.Y., Aug. 20, 1997.
J
Jackson, Grace “Pete,” 93; founder of Ranchman’s Cafe in Ponder whose down-home cooking brought visitors from around the world; in Denton, June 12, 1998.
Jimenez, Raul Sr., 66; built the Jimenez Food Products empire; another legacy is the Thanksgiving dinners he hosted each year for thousands poor people; in San Antonio, Oct. 26, 1998.
K
Keeton, W. Page, 89; dean of the University of Texas School of Law from 1949-74 credited with helping develop it into one of top such institutions; in Austin, Jan. 10, 1999.
Kilgore, Joe M., 80; member of Congress from South Texas for 1954-64 and adviser to Lyndon Johnson; in Austin, Feb. 10, 1999.
Knox, Buddy, 65; rockabilly singer and songwriter of the 1950s who wrote “Party Doll”; born in Happy; in Bremerton, Wash., Feb. 14, 1999.
Kubiak, Dan, 60; Democratic legislator who served eleven terms in the Texas House beginning in 1969; in Rockdale, August 1998.
L
Lich, Glen Ernst, 49; former history professor at Baylor University and Schreiner College, wrote The German Texans in 1981; slain at his ranch near Kerrville, Oct. 15, 1997.
Lieberman, Harry (Larry Kane), 62; Houston broadcaster who hosted a teen dance show in the 1950s and ’60s; in Houston, Jan. 26, 1998.
Luby, Robert M., 88; founded the Luby’s Cafeteria chain in San Antonio in 1947; in Colorado Springs, Colo., Aug. 13, 1998.
Luedecke, Alvin R., 87; retired Air Force general who headed the Atomic Energy Commission for six years and served as Texas A&M University president in 1970; in San Antonio, Aug. 9, 1998.
Lyle, Eldon W., 89; known nationally as the “Tyler rose doctor,” made major contributions to rose research; in Tyler, Dec. 28, 1997.
M
Machado, Mike, 74; spent 41 years presiding over San Antonio municipal and state district courts; in San Antonio, July 29, 1998.
Marr, Dave, 63; Houston golfer who went on to become a PGA champion and popular TV broadcaster; in Houston, Oct. 5, 1997.
Martin, J.C. “Pepe,” 85; longtime South Texas civic leader who served six terms as mayor of Laredo; in San Antonio hospital, Nov. 11, 1998.
Martin, Lecil Travis (Boxcar Willie), 67; mechanic from Mansfield and Arlington who found fame as country music entertainer; in Branson, Mo., April 12, 1999.
Matthews, Wilbur Lee, 95; noted lawyer described by the San Antonio Express-News as “one of the most influential men in San Antonio from the 1950s through the 1970s”; in San Antonio, March 17, 1998.
Michener, James, A., 90; Pulitzer Prize-winning author of such epic novels as Texas and Hawaii who taught at and eventually endowed the University of Texas; in Austin, Oct. 16, 1997.
Milford, Dale, 71; Dallas broadcaster and three-term Democratic member of Congress in the 1970s; in Howe, Dec. 26, 1997.
Miller, Vassar, 74; twice named poet laureate of Texas and a Pulitzer Prize nominee; in Houston, Oct. 31, 1998.
Moore, William T., 81; former state senator credited with leading the fight to get women admitted to Texas A&M University; in Bryan, May 27, 1999.
Moorman, Lewis J. Jr., 80; past chairman of the Southwest Foundation for Biomedical Research and trustee of the related institute; in San Antonio, Nov. 28, 1997.
Murphy, Charles A., 79; considered founder of Texas Southern University who as legislator from 1947-55 co-wrote the bill establishing it; in Houston, March 23, 1998.
N
Naranjo, Ruben, 53; conjunto superstar, singer and accordionist known for his slow, danceable style; of heart failure, in Alice, Oct. 12, 1998.
North, Phillip R., 79; former executive editor of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram who became chairman of the Tandy Corp.; in Fort Worth, April 12, 1998. His wife, Janice Harris North, 77, active in charity work, died July 26, 1998, in Fort Worth.
O
Oliphant, Rev. T.G., 83; pastored four West Texas churches over half a century and founded the NAACP in Taylor County; in Abilene, June 20, 1998.
Osteen, John, 77; founding pastor of one of Houston’s largest churches and a popular television evangelist; in Houston, Jan. 23, 1999.
P
Paredes, Américo, 83; writer, folklorist and one of the founders and first director of the University of Texas Mexican American Studies program; in Austin, May 5, 1999.
Phelps, John C., 96; longtime Dallas civil rights leader; insurance man who fought for parks and recreation centers; in Dallas, May 16, 1999.
Pitzer, Kenneth S., 83; renowned chemist who served as president of Rice University (1961-69); in Berkeley, Calif., Dec. 26, 1997.
R
Ramsey, Buck, 59; one-time cowboy who became nationally acclaimed poet and musician; in Amarillo, Jan. 3, 1998.
Rogers, Julie, 83; Beaumont philanthropist who supported causes ranging from the arts to medicine; in Beaumont, Feb. 12, 1998.
Rogers, Ralph, 87; Dallas businessman instrumental in creating the Public Broadcasting System and reviving Parkland hospital and the Dallas Symphony; in Dallas, Nov. 4, 1997.
S
Schepps, George, 98; sports enthusiast and member of prominent Dallas business family, founded Texas Baseball Hall of Fame; Jan. 14, 1998.
Shepard, Alan, 74; one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts, he was the first American thrust into space on May 5, 1961; Houston-area business executive for many years; in Monterey, Calif., July 21, 1998. His wife, Louise, 76, died Aug. 25, 1998, in California.
Smith, Carl S., 89; served 51 years as Harris County’s tax assessor and collector; in Houston, July 28, 1998.
Spelce, Fannie Lou, 89; called “the Grandma Moses of Texas,” former nurse who after retiring at 64 gained notoriety as a folk artist; in Austin, April 11, 1998.
AP Hallie Crawford Stillwell
Stillwell, Hallie Crawford, 99; Big Bend pioneer who became one of the region’s most prominent and notable figures; in Alpine; Aug. 18, 1997.
Strauss, Annette, 74; the first woman to be elected mayor of Dallas (1987-91), arts patron and advertising executive; in Dallas, Dec. 14, 1998.
T
Taniguchi, Alan, 75; dean of the School or Architecture at the University of Texas from 1967-1972 when he left to head the architecture school at Rice University until 1978; in Austin, Jan. 14, 1998.
Tenayuca, Emma, 82; labor organizer, human rights activist and educator; in San Antonio, July 23, 1999.
Thomason, William, 85; longtime rancher, entrepreneur and attorney; on Gen. Douglas MacArthur’s staff in World War II; in Bryan, June 20, 1999.
Tillman, Harrel Gordon Sr., 73; an actor on stage and in movies in the 1940s; appointed Houston’s first black municipal court judge in 1964; in Houston, June 19, 1998.
Toomey, Anna, 99; retired staff artist for The Dallas Morning News who drew in 1941 the first county maps used in the Texas Almanac; in Dallas, Feb. 11, 1998.
Tucker, Karla Faye, 38; her execution for the pickax slayings of two persons became an international news event; in Huntsville, Feb. 3, 1998.
V
Vandergriff, Charles (Mrs. W.T.), 94; matriarch of leading Arlington family and philanthropist; in Arlington, Dec. 18, 1997.
W
Erich Schlegel Doak Walker
Walker, Doak, 71; Heisman Trophy winner who propelled Southern Methodist University football into the national spotlight in the 1940s; in Steamboat Springs, Colo., Sept. 27, 1998.
Walls, B. Carmage, 90; newspaper entrepreneur who ended racial discrimination practices in his Southern papers; in Houston, Nov. 22, 1998.
Warnock, Barton H., 87; Trans-Pecos icon and leading authority on the botany of the Big Bend and the Chihuahuan Desert; in Alpine, June 9, 1998.
Welch, June Rayfield, 70; former chairman of the history department at the University of Dallas who was widely known for his Texas history radio shows; in Dallas, Sept. 2, 1998.
White, Richard C., 74; Democratic member of Congress 1965-1983 from West Texas; in El Paso, Feb. 18, 1998.
Z
Zientek, Marion P., 57; longtime editor of the Texas Catholic Herald (1971-97) which reached a circulation of 185,000 during his tenure; of a heart attack, in Houston, March 1, 1999.
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