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TEXAS OBITUARIES (JULY 1999–JULY 2001)
(from the Texas Almanac 2002-2003)
Click on a letter to navigate the list.
A
A&M Twelve; Texas A&M students who died in collapse of campus bonfire; M. Adams, C. Breen, M. Ebanks, J. Frampton, J. Hand, C. Heard, T. Kerlee, L. Kimmel, B. McClain, C. Powell, J. Self and N. West; Nov. 18, 1999.
Ardoin, John, 66; spent 32 years as music critic with The Dallas Morning News, becoming internationally known; in Costa Rica, where he moved after retiring in 1998, March 19, 2001.
Arrambide, Lilia Natalia De-Cory, 93; founder of Pancho’s Mexican Buffet, which grew into a chain of restaurants throughout the Southwest; in El Paso, May 10, 2001.
B
Beneke, Gordon “Tex,” 86; singer and sax player who took over the Glenn Miller Orchestra after Miller’s death; Fort Worth native known for singing “Chattanooga Choo Choo” and saxophone solos on “In the Mood”; in Costa Mesa, Calif., May 30, 2000.
Biggers, John T., 76; pioneering muralist known for portraying the African-American experience; he founded the art department at Texas Southern University in 1949; in Houston, Jan. 25, 2001.
Biggs, Electra Waggoner, 88; sculptor of Fort Worth’s Will Rogers statue and other statues in state; member of Waggoner ranching family; in Vernon, April 23, 2001.
Briscoe, Janey, 76; the former Texas first lady as wife of Gov. Dolph Briscoe Jr. (1972-78); helped develop the sheltered workshop program with the state’s mental health department and the state’s first runaway hotline; in San Antonio, Oct. 12, 2000.
Brown, Reagan, 78; served as state’s agricultural commissioner 1977-83; Texas humorist who traveled country speaking at events; spent 30 years at Texas A&M University as extension sociologist; on his Brazos County ranch in tractor accident, Nov. 16, 1999.
Bruner, Cliff, 85; fiddle player, pioneer in Western swing; in Houston, Aug. 25, 2000.
Bunton, Lucius D. III, 76; federal judge in Midland, known as friend to environmentalists; in Austin, Jan. 17, 2001.
Busby, Horace, 76; longtime Washington consultant; grew up in Fort Worth; as editor of University of Texas Daily Texan in 1945 attracted attention of Lyndon Johnson and became one of President Johnson’s most trusted advisers; in Santa Monica, Calif., May 30, 2000.
C
Cadena, Carlos C., 83; first Hispanic chief justice of a Texas appellate court when he was named in 1977; in San Antonio, Jan. 11, 2001.
Camacho, Daniel, 87; Hispanic political leader in East Austin; influenced the careers of many prominent Austin Democrats; in Austin, July 10, 2001.
Cantrell, James C., 90; former president of the Baptist Foundation of Texas and county judge of Collin County; in Dallas, July 17, 2001.
Cantu, Mario, 63; civil rights activist and namesake of Mario’s, a popular downtown San Antonio restaurant from the 1950s until it closed in 1989; born Mauro Jr., he once went into self-imposed exile in Europe and opened restaurant in Paris; in San Antonio, Nov. 9, 2000.
Caruth, Mabel Morrow Peters, 86; philanthropist; matriarch of prominent Dallas family; in Dallas, Dec. 25, 2000.
Casillas, Richard, 77; first Hispanic district director of U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service in 1969; in San Antonio, April 26, 2000.
Cauthorn, Julia, 80; known as “Duchess of King William,” worked to restore and preserve the 19th-century area of San Antonio; in San Antonio, Dec. 6, 2000.
Choate, William R., 82; served as president of DePelchin Children’s Center, trustee of Baylor College of Medicine, law partner of Baker & Botts; in Houston, June 14, 2001.
Coleman, George, 76; known as “Bongo Joe” on the River Walk where he played for more than 20 years; in San Antonio, Dec. 19, 1999.
Cuellar, Mack Jr., 91; last survivor of the five brothers who popularized Tex-Mex foods through their El Chico restaurants starting in 1940; born in Rosebud; in Dallas, Dec. 20, 1999.
Cullum, Margaret Bennett “Bobbie”; 1939 graduate of Sweet Briar College; longtime civic volunteer from prominent Dallas family; widow of A. Earl Cullum Jr.; in Dallas, June 17, 2000.
D
Davis, Priscilla, 59; the one-time millionaire socialite involved in a famous 1976 murder case; she survived the attack that killed two others in her Fort Worth mansion; from cancer, in Dallas, Feb. 19, 2001.
Dies, Martin Jr., 79; former state senator, secretary of state and appellate justice; known as “the gentle giant” of the Texas senate during his tenure 1959-67 representing East Texas; in Beaumont, May 17, 2001.
Di Portanova, Baron Enrico, 66; renowned jet-setter and grandson of oil magnate Hugh Roy Cullen; hosted benefits in River Oaks home for charities, arts; in Houston, Feb. 28, 2000.
Doty, Estella Kate Hill, 83; Dallas educator for 42 years, founding trustee of African American Museum at Fair Park; in Dallas, April 2001.
Duren, Almatris March, 90; was housemother for decades and activist for inclusion of black students at UT-Austin; in Los Angeles, Oct. 13, 2000.
E
Ealey, Robert, 76; Fort Worth blues legend, musician and club owner, mentor of local talent; in Fort Worth, March 7, 2001.
Estep, William R. Jr., 80; Reformation scholar, professor at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary; in Fort Worth, July 15, 2000.
Evans, Dale, 88; in television and movies she reigned as “Queen of the West” alongside husband Roy Rogers, “King of the Cowboys”; wrote their theme song “Happy Trails”; born in Uvalde, raised in Italy, Texas; in Apple Valley, Calif., Feb. 7, 2001.
Evans, Sterling C., 101; Texas A&M University donor and chairman of governing board; in 1960s supported opening college to women and ending mandatory military training; in Del Rio, July 5, 2001.
F
Ferguson, Joe Frank III, 86; musician with Light Crust Doughboys and Texas Playboys; in Fort Worth, Feb. 14, 2001.
Flores, Juvenal Joe, 90; catalyst, through LULAC, for Feria de las Flores, an annual festival and scholarship pageant in Corpus Christi since 1959; in Corpus Christi, May 30, 2001.
G
Garcia, Theodore “Ted,” 79; a 10th-generation Texan and pioneer in Latino activism in Houston; helped form American GI Forum; in Houston, Oct. 29, 1999.
George, Anthony, 90; businessman; owner of Tyler Candy Company; known as “Peanut Pattie King”; in Tyler, Jan. 31, 2001.
Gilruth, Robert R., 86; NASA veteran who headed for ten years the Manned Spacecraft Center in Houston starting in 1961; in Charlottesville, Va., Aug. 17, 2000.
Gonzalez, Henry B., 84; liberal Democrat represented San Antonio in Congress from 1961-98; chairman of the House Banking Committee 1989-95; also served in the state senate; ran for governor in 1958; in San Antonio, Nov. 28, 2000.
Grossman, Burton, 81; born in Corpus Christi, donated millions of dollars to arts, education, medical research in Texas and his adopted Mexico; in London, England, Nov. 12, 1999.
Guerra, Henry, 82; called “Voice of San Antonio”; broadcaster known for knowledge of city’s history; first Hispanic announcer to use his own name when he joined WOAI in 1939; bridged cultures with “Good night y muy buenas noches” sign-off; in San Antonio, July 1, 2001.
H
Hall, Walter G., 92; wealthy businessman and powerful voice in Galveston County Democratic Party politics; in Clear Lake, March 12, 2000.
Harris, Leon A. Jr., 74; of Dallas department-store family, went on to career of writing books and magazines articles, was contributing editor with Town & Country; art patron; in Highland Park, Aug. 17, 2000.
Haywood, Tom, 61; represented North and West Texas counties in state senate from 1994; champion of agriculture and oil businesses; in Wichita Falls, July 12, 2001.
Heggins, Elsie Faye, 65; brought an issue-driven approach to Dallas City Council 1980-84; in Houston, Jan. 3, 2000.
Hofner, Adolph, 83; Moulton native known for adding German, Czech and Polish twist to Western swing music; his band popularized a Texas version of the “Cotton-Eyed Joe” in 1940; he performed through the 1980s; in San Antonio, May 30, 2000.
J
Jaffee, Morris Douglas Sr., 78; businessman and political power broker in San Antonio; supported Henry B. Gonzalez, Frank Tejeda, Henry Cisneros; friend of Lyndon Johnson and Sam Rayburn; in San Antonio, April 24, 2001
Johnson, Belton Kleberg, 71; businessman and King Ranch heir; known as “B,” his first language was Spanish; in 1959 purchased his own ranch in Zavala County, the Chaparrosa, known for its annual sale of prized Santa Gertrudis cattle; in San Antonio, May 19, 2001.
Justin, John Jr., 84; known worldwide for his cowboy boots and promoting Western heritage; while running the family business, he served on the Fort Worth City Council and became mayor in 1961; in Fort Worth, Feb. 26, 2001.
K
King, Don C., 71; Jermyn native led the Texas and Southwestern Cattle Raisers Association 1966-95 as general manager; during his tenure the group grew to more than 13,000 members; in Fort Worth, Oct. 24, 2000.
Klingenberg, Elmo, 84; served with the Fort Worth Stockyards for 32 years before retiring as president in 1978; at his daughter’s home in Chattanooga, Tenn., July 23, 2001.
Koonce, Paul B., 94; longtime manager of Houston’s municipal airport (1941-73, named Hobby in 1967); helped plan the city’s intercontinental airport (now called Bush); in Houston, Feb. 28, 2001.
L
Landry, Tom, 75; football stalwart was Dallas Cowboy coach for 29 seasons; born and raised in Mission in the Rio Grande Valley; World War II veteran who went on to play for UT Longhorns and New York Giants; in Dallas, Feb. 12, 2000.
Laney, Jean Moroney, 79; granddaughter of Dallas Morning News founder George Bannerman Dealey; active in civic groups, benefactor; in Dallas, Sept, 22, 1999.
Laurenzo, Ninfa Rodriguez, 77; the founder of Ninfa’s restaurants, popularized fajitas, tacos al carbon; grew up in Rio Grande Valley; widowed in 1969, she converted tortilla company in 1973 to first restaurant, which grew to a chain; in Houston, June 17, 2001.
Lea, Tom, 93; internationally-known artist and author first won fame in the 1930s as a landscape painter and muralist, and later as Life magazine correspondent during World War II; in El Paso, Jan. 29, 2001.
Loetscher, Ila, 95; nicknamed “The Turtle Lady” for her campaigns for sea turtles on South Padre Island; in Brownsville, Jan. 4, 2000.
Longoria, Raul, 80; Democrat represented the Rio Grande Valley in the Texas House 1960-73; state senate 1973-81; district judge in Hidalgo County 1981-94; in Houston hospital, May 7, 2001.
Longoria, Valerio, 76; innovator in conjunto music, taught accordion to children of San Antonio for many years; in San Antonio, Dec. 15, 2000.
Lowe, James E. Jr. “Jim,” 73; voice of giant Big Tex at State Fair; in Dallas, May 28, 2000.
Luna, Greg, 66; Democrat served in Texas House 1985-92 and state senate 1993-1999; honored for work in education; helped found the Mexican-American Legal Defense Fund in 1968; in San Antonio, Nov. 6, 1999.
M
Maguire, Jack Russell, 80; directed UT-Austin alumni organization for 20 years; historian; in Fredericksburg, Aug. 27, 2000.
Manriquez, Margarita, 71; State Fair food vendor who in the 1950s helped popularize tacos and nachos; in Farmers Branch, Oct. 29, 2000.
Massey, Charlotte, 82; civic leader and philanthropist; descendant of El Paso pioneer Zach White; in El Paso, Nov. 2, 2000.
Mauzy, Oscar, 73; known as “the blue-collar intellectual”; raised in Houston; was state senator from Dallas from 1967 until his election in 1986 to the Texas Supreme Court; Democrat was member of the “Killer Bees” reform bloc in 1979; in Austin, Oct. 10, 2000.
McAshan, Susan Clayton, 95; arts patron through family fortune from Anderson Clayton & Co.; founder of the Houston Arboretum & Nature Center; in Houston, June 10, 2001.
Mesinger, Maxine, 75; popular society columnist at the Houston Chronicle for more than 40 years; moved from early local television in 1954 to newspapers; her Big City Beat was known for its “Maxine-isms” such as “She snoops to conquer”; in Houston, Jan. 19, 2001.
Meyer, Alice Kleberg Reynolds, 71; patron of the arts, museums in San Antonio; descendant of King Ranch family; in San Antonio, June 28, 2000.
Montgomery, Marvin “Smokey,” 88; banjo picker for the Light Crust Doughboys; in Dallas, June 6, 2001.
Morris, Willie, 64; Mississippi-born author wrote classic coming-of-age memoir North Toward Home; entered University of Texas in 1952 where he was editor of the Daily Texan; went on to a tenure as editor of the liberal journal Texas Observer; in Jackson, Miss., Aug. 2, 1999.
Murchison, Lucille Gannon “Lupe,” 75; arts patron, long-time regent for the University of North Texas, former co-owner of Dallas Cowboys; in Dallas, July 3, 2001.
N
Norsworthy, Mary Elizabeth “Betty” Moroney, 83; granddaughter of Dallas Morning News founder George Bannerman Dealey; in Highland Park, March 6, 2001.
O
O’Hair, Madalyn Murray, 76; famed atheist; long-time Austin resident; her body and those of her son and granddaughter were found in Real County, March 15, 2001.
P
Parr, Archer; 75; last son of the South Texas political dynasty; served as Duval County judge 1959-75 and three years in federal prison; grandson of state Sen. Archie Parr and nephew of George Parr; in Alice, Nov. 2, 2000.
Patterson, Lucy Phelps, 68; longtime civic leader and first black woman elected to the Dallas City Council in 1973; in Dallas, June 15, 2000.
Prude, John G., 95; West Texas pioneer whose family operates Prude Ranch; in Fort Davis, Feb. 24, 2000.
R
Riggs, Leonard, 95; came to Longview in 1936 to design the Lacy Gardens, brought first azaleas into the area; named to the newly-credited Landscape Architects Board by Gov. Preston Smith in 1969; in Longview, Feb. 21, 2001.
Rodriguez, Sylvan, 52; broadcast news veteran of 23 years in his native San Antonio and later in Houston; shared battle with cancer with his viewers; in Houston, April 7, 2000.
Rogers, Walter E., 92; Democrat represented the Panhandle in Congress 1951-66; in Naples, Fla., May 31, 2001.
Rosenthal, E.M. “Manny,” 79; philanthropist who built his fortune from the family-owned Standard Meat Co.; became an art patron who gained prominence in the national Jewish community; in Fort Worth, July 25, 2001.
Ruiz, Daniel E., 53; prominent in East Austin grassroots coalition formed in 1970s; of a heart attack, in Austin, March 25, 2000.
S
Sahm, Doug, 58; Texas music icon evolved from 1960s rock and roll with Sir Douglas Quintet and “She’s About a Mover” to Texas Tornados of the 1990s and playing country and conjunto; of a heart attack while in Taos, N.M., Nov. 18, 1999.
Savage, Wallace, 87; Dallas mayor (1949-51) known for historic preservation and working for racial equality; in Dallas, June 19, 2000.
Schreiner, Charles III, 74; founder of the Texas Longhorn Breeders Association; grandson of legendary Texas Ranger who amassed 600,000 acres including YO Ranch near Kerrville; preceded in death by son Louis Albert II (age 41, from heart attack) by one week; in San Antonio, April 22, 2001.
Scruggs, Charles G., 77; former editor with the Progressive Farmer magazine; Texas Tech regent; in Waco, July 24, 2001.
Simmons, Tom, 85; former executive editor and vice president of The Dallas Morning News; in Dallas, March 17, 2000.
Singer, Edwin, 85; oilman and banker, a leader in promoting Corpus Christi arts and growth in the 20th century; in Corpus Christi, Feb. 12, 2000.
Skeen, Clyde, 83; career in national defense and aerospace technology, became chief of LTV Corp., headed Dallas Transit Board; in Dallas, Oct. 10, 2000.
Stark, Nelda C., 90; publicity-shy philanthropist in Orange who with her husband organized the Stark Foundation in 1961; in Houston, Dec. 13, 1999.
Stemmons, John M., 92; Dallas civic leader credited with moving a section of the Trinity River and making way for the freeway that bears his family’s name; in Dallas, July 20, 2001.
Sternberg, Daniel A., 87; dean of the school of music at Baylor University for nearly 40 years; in Waco, Aug. 26, 2000.
Steves, Marshall Terrell, 77; San Antonio civic leader; worked to bring HemisFair ’68 to completion; 13th generation descendant of Canary Islanders; while in Rome, Italy, Oct. 30, 2000.
Stewart, Payne, 42; professional golfer, graduate of Southern Methodist University; won U.S. Open twice and medals in the Southwest Conference in the late 1970s; in plane crash in South Dakota that also killed five others; Oct. 25, 1999.
T
Tate, Buddy, 87; Sherman native was saxophonist with the Count Basie band in the 1940s; in Chandler, Ariz., Feb. 10, 2001.
Taylor, Johnnie, 62; soul singer made his first rhythm-and-blues hit in 1968 with “Who’s Making Love,” in 1976 hit top of charts with “Disco Lady”; in Dallas, May 31, 2000.
Tobian, Milton I., 77; founded Common Cause of Texas; fought for open public records, in Dallas, March 1, 2000.
Tobin, Robert Lynn Batts, 66; nationally prominent patron of the arts and renowned art collector; in San Antonio, April 26, 2000.
Tunnell, Byron, 74; former Texas House speaker and railroad commissioner; in Tyler, March 7, 2000.
Tunnell, Curtis, 67; first official archaeologist of state 1965-1981; in Austin, April 13, 2001.
Turner, Tom E. Sr., 87; Fort Worth native founded Sigmor chain of gasoline/convenience stores; in Houston, Jan. 24, 2001.
V
Vaccaro, Christine Pavia, 93; as co-founder of Mario’s restaurant helped pioneer Italian cuisine in Dallas beginning in 1943; the nationally-recognized restaurant operated until 1980; mother of actress Brenda Vaccaro; in Los Angeles, Jung 20, 2001.
W
Wade, David, 77; nationally-known food writer and broadcast personality; in Tyler, March 20, 2001.
Wade, Henry, 86; served as district attorney of Dallas (1951-1986), including the murder trial of Jack Ruby and the landmark Roe v. Wade abortion case; compiled one of the nation’s highest conviction rates; in Dallas, March 1, 2001.
Watkins, Ross C., 81; regent for Texas A&M; innovative bridge builder who constructed two international spans over the Rio Grande; in Uvalde, May 29, 2001.
West, Mary Nan, 75; South Texas rancher and civic leader who steered the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo for nearly 20 years; chaired Texas A&M University board of regents; in San Antonio, Jan. 1, 2001.
Windham, Thomas, 61; headed the Fort Worth police department for 14 years; advocate of neighborhood-based police programs; helped win creation of city crime tax in 1995 to funnel additional money to crime-fighting; in Fort Worth, Jan. 12, 2000.
Woodward, Halbert Owen, 82; Coleman native, federal judge in northwest Texas (1968-87); in Brownwood, Oct. 3, 2000.
Wright, Charles Alan, 72; renowned constitutional scholar and professor at the University of Texas beginning in 1955; represented President Richard Nixon before the Supreme Court in 1974; in Austin, July 7, 2000.
Z
Zale, Sylvia, 90; philanthropist, wife of co-founder of Zale Jewelry Co.; in Dallas, Nov. 9, 2000.
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