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TEXAS OBITUARIES (JULY 2003-JUNE 2005)
Click on a letter to navigate the list.
A
Abbott, "Dimebag"
Darrell, 38; one of heavy-metal's top guitarists, gained fame in 1990s with
group Pantera; Dalworthington Gardens resident was shot to death, along with
four others, Dec. 8, 2004, while performing in Columbus, Ohio.
Abraham, Elias,
90; businessman who was the last of the 12 brothers and sisters who immigrated
from Syria to start the Abraham dynasty in El Paso; July 17, 2004.
Karl Schnoerrer Red Adair
Adair, Paul N. "Red,"
89; oilfield firefighter for 50 years; immortalized by John Wayne in the movie,
The Hellfighters, based on his life;
in Houston, Aug. 7, 2004.
Agnich, Fred J.,
91; business executive and legislator who in 1970 was the first Republican
elected countywide in Dallas since Reconstruction; served in Legislature until
1988 where he was a member of the Dirty Thirty, a reform-minded coalition; Oct.
28, 2004.
Anderson, M.J.
"Andy," 96; one of Austin's first black real estate agents, political
science professor at Huston-Tillotson College and political power broker; was
national director for minority affairs for Lyndon Johnson's presidential
campaign; Oct. 10, 2004.
Courtesy Garner Ted Armstrong
Armstrong, Garner
Ted, 73; evangelist known for radio program World Tomorrow; founded Church of God International in 1978 after
his father, Herbert W. Armstrong, excommunicated him from the Worldwide Church
of God; in Tyler, Sept. 15, 2003.
Azpiazu, José,
100; priest who founded the popular San Juan del Valle shrine in the Lower Rio
Grande Valley in 1954; in San Antonio, July 29, 2004.
B
Baker, Edith, 78;
founding member of the American Women in Radio and Television in Houston;
credited with helping Tejano music onto the airwaves iin 1980s; in Houston,
Nov. 1, 2003.
Phil Velasquez Etta Moten Barnett
Barnett, Etta Moten,
102; Weimar native played romantic roles in movies in the 1930s when most black
actresses were relegated to roles as maids; was featured in the show-stopping
"Carioca" number in Flying Down to Rio;
named one of Texas' 100 most influential women of the 20th century by the
state's Women's Chamber of Commerce in 1999; Jan. 2, 2004.
Belden, Joe, 90;
polling pioneer who in 1940 founded the Texas Poll, the first statewide opinion
survey in the country and a model for others that followed; born José Belden to
Mexican parents in Eagle Pass; worked in Austin and Dallas; June 16, 2005.
Bellows, George
Ferris, 80; head of the family construction firm that built the San Jacinto
Momument and other Houston landmarks, such as the Alley Theatre, the Wortham
Center and the Tenneco Building; on the board of the Texas Medical Center and
Texas Children's Hospital since 1967; May 30, 2005.
Bright, H.R. "Bum,"
84; owner of Dallas Cowboys 1984-89; Dallas businessman; longtime member of the
Texas A&M University Board of Regents; Dec. 11, 2004.
Brooks, Donald
Arthur, 83; the first black doctor in Texas to be board certified in
surgery in 1957; became chief of surgery at St. Joseph Hospital in Fort Worth;
March 5, 2005.
Bumgardner, Max,
81; Wichita Falls native was University of Texas co-captain in 1947 when he
caught passes from Bobby Layne; coach at Angelo State University 1950-68; on
football staff at Texas A&M until 1978; April 12, 2005.
Burns, Robert,
60; University of Texas drama graduate who did special effects for several
movies, best known as art director for the horror classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre; in Seguin, June 4, 2004.
Bynum, Raymond T.
"Prof," 96; orginator of Texas' first high school marching band during
halftime at an Abilene High School football game in 1926; Aug. 1, 2003.
C
Canales, Laura,
50; Kingsville native was once known as the Queen of Tejano music, paved the
way for other female Tejano singers; in Corpus Christi, April 16, 2005, from
complications from gall bladder surgery.
Carr, Waggoner,
86; former Texas attorney general 1963–67, House speaker and legislator from
Lubbock; in Austin, Feb. 25, 2004.
Carruthers, Jacob H.
Jr., 73; raised in Houston, one of six blacks to break the color barrier at
the University of Texas School of Law in 1950; went on to teach at Northeastern
Illinois University, considered at expert in African history; Jan. 11, 2004.
Casey, Albert V.,
84; former CEO of American Airlines who decided to move the company
headquarters to Fort Worth in 1979, bringing thousands of jobs to the area; in
Dallas, July 10, 2004.
Clinton, Sam Houston,
81; Waco native was former Texas Court of Criminal Appeals judge; among his
clients when he was a defense attorney were Madalyn Murray O'Hair and Jack
Ruby; Oct. 5, 2004.
Cooper, Gordon Jr.,
77; one of the original Mercury 7 astronauts working at NASA in Houston and the
last American to fly solo in space; Oct. 4, 2004.
Crenshaw, Roberta, 90; Austin philanthropist and civic
activist who was the catalyst for the Town Lake greenbelt and the founding of
the Austin Parks and Recreation Department; Feb. 8, 2005.
D
Dealey, Doris Carolyn
Russell, 85, Dallas civic figure and widow of former Belo Corp. CEO Joe M.
Dealey; Jan. 19, 2005.
DeCicco, Frank,
81; Houston real estate visionary who founded Re/Max of Texas, specializing in
selling residential properties; Dec. 18, 2004.
De La Rosa, Tony,
72, Sarita native, accordionist and bandleader was one of the first to amplify
conjunto music and use drums; in Corpus Christi, June 2, 2004.
Diaz, Alfonso
Gonzales, 65; handcraft bootmaker recruited from Mexico by San Antonio
bootmaker Sam Lucchese where he worked for 23 years; his customers included Lyndon
Johnson and John Wayne; Aug. 16, 2003.
Distin, Vivian
Liberto, 71; San Antonio-born first wife of Johnny Cash and mother of
singer Rosanne Cash; it was during their 13-year marriage that Cash pledged to
remain faithful in "I Walk the Line"; May 24, 2005.
Dyer, A.R. "Happy,"
96; Odessa civic leader who helped found the Permian Basin International Oil
Show; charter member of the Odessa Chuck Wagon Gang; Feb. 28, 2005.
E
Ellis, George T.,
70; son of Lebanese immigrants, earned law degree from University of Texas in
1959, served on the state 14th Court of Appeals 1989–92; in Houston, Sept. 21,
2003.
F
Faget, Maxime,
83; chief architect of NASA's Mercury capsule and contributor to the design of
other spacecraft; in Houston, Oct. 9, 2004.
Fallon, Frank,
73; veteran broadcaster was "Voice of the Baylor Bears" where he announced
football and basketball games for 43 years; in Waco, April 30, 2004.
Fox, David G. Jr., 80; led Fox & Jacobs Inc., which grew to be Texas' largest homebuilder, for more than 35 years; former Dallas County judge, chairman of the Dallas Chamber of Commerce and the State Fair of Texas; in Dallas, Dec. 25, 2003.
G
Gabler, Mel, 89;
conservative critic of school textbooks who testified before state regulators
regularly for 40 years; in Longview, Dec. 19, 2004.
Ganter, Donald B.,
65; co-founder in 1974 of the well-known Aggie bar, the Dixie Chicken, as well
as other restaurants in College Station; in Abilene, Nov. 23, 2004.
Garza, Reynaldo,
89; son of Mexican immigrants was appointed a federal judge by President
Kennedy in 1961; appointed to 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals by President
Carter; in Brownsville, Sept. 14, 2004.
Gemberling, Robert
Perry, 82; FBI special agent who coordinated the Dallas investigation of
the Kennedy assassination and supervised the Lee Harvey Oswald investigation in
1963; in Dallas, Dec. 4 , 2004.
Goldthwaite, Aniela,
91; top female golfer of the 1930s–40s; won Texas Women's Open four times; in
Fort Worth, Dec. 24, 2003.
Graves, Howard,
64; Roaring Springs native and career military officer; was former
superintendent of West Point; chancellor of Texas A&M University system
1999–2003; in Fort Worth, Sept. 13, 2003.
H
Haggar, Edmond R.
"Ed," 88; clothier who as president launched to national prominence the
family business, which was founded by his father, a Lebanese immigrant;
credited with coining the term "slacks;" in Dallas, Sept. 29, 2004.
Halbouty, Michel T.,
95; famed wildcatter who made millions in the oil business; Beaumont native was
son of Lebanese immigrants; in Houston, Nov. 6, 2004.
Hannah, John H.,
64; federal judge in the Eastern District of Texas; raised in Diboll; served in
Legislature where he was member of the Dirty Thirty; Dec. 4, 2003.
Harding, Warren G.,
84; Princeton native rode presidential name to 33 years as Dallas County
treasurer and state treasurer, retiring in 1983; April 2, 2005.
Hargis, Billy James,
79; Texarkana-born evangelist who founded in 1950 the anti-communist Christian
Crusade; Nov. 27, 2004.
Harris, Ruth R.,
84; longtime employee of The Dallas
Morning News; worked on the Texas
Almanac from 1941 to 1986 where she was associate editor; Aug. 13, 2004.
Harrison, Ivan Elton
"Sonny," 85; Naples native was an amateur radio operator who built the
first Carterfone, the precursor to the computer modem; in Wimberley, April 22,
2005.
Herrera, Johnny,
73; Lower Valley native was Tejano songwriter of the 1940s–50s; his songs
included "La Tracalera" covered by Selena; Sept. 10, 2003.
Herring, Charles F.
Sr., 89; Waco native was former federal prosecutor and state senator
1956–73 from Central Texas; in Austin, Jan. 15, 2004.
Hopps, Walter,
72; founding director of Houston's Menil Collection; also served as curator of
20th century art for the Smithsonian Institution; lived in Houston and Los
Angeles; March 20, 2005.
Hovis, Larry, 67;
actor best known as Sgt. Carter on Hogan's
Heros; lecturer in theater at Texas State University–San Macros since 1990;
Sept. 9, 2003.
J
Jackson, Gordon Dealey, 85; next-to-last surviving grandson
of G.B. Dealey, who was co-founder of The
Dallas Morning News; worked in water resource management; Nov. 26, 2004.
Jamail, Jeffrey G.
"Jeff," 52; known as the face of Jamail's grocery, which was Houston's
premier purveyor of fine food; his grandfather Najeeb "Jim" Jamail, a Lebanese
immigrant, began the grocery business in 1907; May 23, 2004, from a heart
attack.
Jennings, James,
71; stadium voice of the Dallas Cowboys for 22 years until 1989; also announced
at the Mesquite rodeo; served three terms on the Dallas school board in the 1970s;
Dec. 2, 2004.
Johnson, James L.
"Rocky," 77; Vernon native was CEO of GTE Corp. in 1991 when he brought the
domestic headquarters of the company (now Verizon) to North Texas; in Irving,
Nov. 18, 2004.
Jurow, Martin,
92; a Dallas resident since 1971, he was a vital force on Broadway and in
Hollywood; produced classics including Breakfast
at Tiffany's; in Dallas, Feb. 12, 2004.
K
Kilby, Jack St.
Clair, 81; the Nobel laureate and longtime engineer at Texas Instruments
whose 1958 invention of the integrated circuit made possible the microprocessor
and ushered in the electronics age; in Dallas, June 20, 2005.
Korioth, Tony,
71; legislator from Sherman brought successful "one man, one vote" lawsuit in
the 1960s, which challenged districting that concentrated power in rural areas;
in Austin, May 29, 2004.
L
Leddy, James, 66;
legendary Abilene bootmaker whose exotic leathers of snake and ostrich drew
many famed customers from George Jones to Jane Seymour; Sept. 30, 2003.
LeDoux, Chris,
56; country singer-songwriter; raised in Austin, former rodeo champion had hit
duet, "Whatcha Gonna Do With a Cowboy," with Garth Brooks in 1992; March 9,
2005, from cancer.
Lee, Amy Freeman,
89; painter, author, art critic and art patron in San Antonio; headed board of
trustees at the University of the Incarnate Word 1973–1990; July 20, 2004.
Lezar, Harold J.
"Tex" Jr., 55; member of the staffs of Presidents Nixon and Reagan,
assistant to William F. Buckley; ran unsuccessfuly for lieutenant govenor in
1994; Jan. 5, 2004, of a heart attack at his Dallas home.
Ling, James J.,
81; pioneer of the modern-day conglomerate, tycoon of LTV Corp., which helped
propel Dallas into world financial spotlight in 1960s; Dec. 17, 2004.
Look, G.D. Sonny, 84;
legendary Houston restaurateur whose Sir-Loin House and Inn were noted steak
houses from 1959-1991; active supporter of Houston rodeo; in Houston, Dec. 29,
2003.
David Pellerin Isidro Lopez
Lopez, Isidro,
75; saxophonist and singer from Alice who combined conjunto with Orquesta to
forge Tejano music in 1940s–60s; half Apache, his nickname was "El Indio"; in
Corpus Christi, Aug. 16, 2004.
Love, Jim, 77;
Houston sculptor born in Amarillo; highly visible works include Portable Trojan Bear in Houston's
Hermann Park; May 10, 2005.
Lyle, John Emmett,
93; former legislator and congressman from Corpus Christi during the 1940s–50s;
Nov. 11, 2003.
M
MacEoin, Gary,
94; San Antonio resident and writer known internationally for his reporting on
Latin America and the Roman Catholic Church; U.N. representative for the
International Catholic Press Union 1954–63; July 9, 2003.
Marsh, Estelle
Fariss, 90; Amarillo philanthropist who married Stanley Marsh Jr. in 1936;
active in city's charities; in Amarillo, Sept. 15, 2003.
Martinez, Matt,
86; owner of Austin's popular El Rancho restaurant, which he opened in 1952;
was Texas Golden Gloves boxing champion in 1937; in Austin, Nov. 27, 2003.
Mayes, Charlotte,
56; Dallas political leader; served four terms on the city council; of
leukemia, Feb. 25, 2004.
McCall, David B. Jr.,
79; called Mr. Plano, he helped transform a small farm community into a massive
suburb; served as mayor in 1950s; Feb. 17, 2004.
McKnight, Felix R.,
93; considered by many the dean of Dallas newspaper journalism, held key
management positions at The Dallas
Morning News and the Dallas Times
Herald; Feb. 7, 2004.
Miller, Ann, 81;
Chireno native became the glamorous tapdancer in Hollywood's golden age of
musicals; performed on Broadway in Sugar Babies in 1979; from 1958–61 was
married to Dallas oilman William Moss; Jan. 22, 2004.
Mitchan, Junior, 72;
Corpus Christi native was bass player and vocalist with pioneers of western
swing, Bob Wills and Adolph Hofner; Jan. 3, 2005.
Moreno, Joe, 40;
legislator from Houston killed in auto crash near La Grange; Democrat had been
state representative since 1998; May 6, 2005.
Morgan, Grant B.,
83; started Big Tex Western Wear in San Antonio, which was later joined by
branches in Houston, Austin and San Marcos; Dec. 8, 2004.
Morton, Azie Taylor,
67; only African-American to serve as U.S. treasurer 1977–1980; civil rights
activist in Austin in 1960s; in Bastrop, Dec. 7, 2003.
Mueller, Marge,
69; called "Sheriff," for three decades she served beer and kept order in
Luckenbach; in Fredericksburg, July 25, 2004.
O
Oates, Johnny,
58; baseball manager who guided Texas Rangers to three play-off berths; Dec.
24, 2004, from a brain tumor.
Onstead, Robert,
73; Houston businessman raised in Ennis, co-founder and longtime president of
Randalls Food Markets, which grew to 114 stores in the late 1990s; Aug. 4,
2004.
P
Palmer, Lester E.,
94; former Austin city council member and mayor who in the 1960s pushed
construction of MoPac Boulevard, Loop 1, a major city thoroughfare; in Austin,
Sept. 21, 2003.
Pennington, Mel,
69; a fixture on Austin television and radio beginning in 1965 as sportscaster
and talk show host; in Austin, Aug. 4, 2003.
Peterson, Ray,
65; Denton-born singer was billed as "the Golden Voice of Rock 'n' Roll"; had
hits "Tell Laura I Love Her"; and "The Wonder of You" in 1950s–60s; Jan. 25,
2005.
Petty, Opal, 86;
raised in Goldthwaite, she won landmark case against the state in 1989 for
being wrongly confined in mental institutions for 51 years; lived out the last
19 years of her life with her nephew's family in Christoval, March 10, 2005.
Pickle, J.J. "Jake,"
91; represented Central Texas in Congress for 31 years, retiring in 1995;
Roscoe native grew up in Big Spring; was young protégé of Lyndon Johnson; in
Austin, June 18, 2005.
Pinkston, David
"Pappy Dave Stone," 90; Post native launched KDAV in 1953 in Lubbock, one
of the first full-time country music stations; employed Waylon Jennings as a
disc jockey; Feb. 18, 2004.
Price, Robert D.
"Bob," 76; Pampa rancher was former state senator; represented part of the
Panhandle in Congress from 1966–74; Aug. 24, 2004.
Proffitt, Tony,
61; political strategist and adviser to Bob Bullock, Bill Clements and Jake
Pickle; Liberty Hill resident also worked on the Jimmy Carter presidential
campaign in 1976; Oct. 17, 2004.
R
Reeves, Connie,
101, Eagle Pass native, cowgirl who taught more than 30,000 girls to ride
horses at Camp Waldemar near Hunt; retired at 80 but continued to teach at the
camp; in San Antonio, Aug. 17, 2003, two weeks after a fall from her horse.
Richter, Walter H.,
86, Marble Falls native served in the state Senate 1963–65 and on several state
boards; in Austin, Sept. 8, 2003.
Riddle, Ned, 81;
former Dallas Morning News artist who
drew the syndicated cartoon Mr. Tweedy;
in Dallas, Oct. 13, 2003.
Roddy, Rod, 66;
Fort Worth native who was the voice of television's The Price is Right, where he invited contestants to "Come on
down!"; worked in radio in Dallas-Fort Worth before going to Hollywood; Oct.
27, 2003.
Roegelein, William
Jr., 82; San Antonio businessman who lead the family processed-meat
business, founded in 1905, which became one of the largest in the state; Jan.
24, 2004.
Rogers, N.J. "Nate,"
87; optometrist who in the 1930s co-founded Texas State Optical in Beaumont
along with three brothers; served on the Texas Optometry Board; Dec. 11, 2003.
Rudder, Margaret,
87; called the First Lady of Texas A&M; Sonora native was wife of the
university's best-known president, Gen. James Earl Rudder, who served from
1959–70; in Bryan, March 3, 2004.
Runyon, Marvin,
79; raised in Dallas; U.S. postmaster general 1992–98; chairman of TVA under
President Reagan; executive for Ford Motors and Nissan; May 3, 2004.
Rush, E.F. "Frank,"
89; beginning in 1971, developed Sandy Lake Amusement Park in Carrollton, which
became a regional institution known to band students in five states for its
competitions; Jan. 5, 2005.
S
Scoggins, Jerry,
93; Mount Pleasant native who sang the theme song "The Ballad of Jed Clampett"
for The Beverly Hillbillies; got his
start in Dallas radio in the 1930s; Dec. 7, 2004.
Sears, Barbra Pace,
71; secretary to Martin Luther King Jr. at the Southern Christian Leadership
Conference; later served as urban planner and community affairs manager for
Fort Worth; March 5, 2005.
Semos, Chris, 68;
served 16 years in the Legislature and 12 years as a Dallas County
commissioner; active in the Dallas Greek community; June 14, 2004.
Seybold, William D.,
89; physician who with Dr. Marvin Kelsey founded in 1951 a Houston clinic as
the first multi-specialty physician group; Kelsey-Seybold now has 21 clinics;
in Dallas, July 19, 2004.
Shoemaker, Bill,
72; Fabens native whose 41-year career as a jockey included winning four
Kentucky Derbies; worked on his grandfather's ranch near Abilene before moving
to Los Angeles; Oct. 12, 2003.
Simmons, William F.
"Bill," 80; longtime keyboard player for the Light Crust Doughboys; veteran
Western swing musician won a Grammy Award in 2003; in Irving, Jan 24, 2005.
Smith, Preston,
91; Texas governor 1969–73 known for his focus on higher education and work for
Texas Tech University; plain-spoken son of poor tenant farmer who went on to
own movie theaters in West Texas; created the Texas Film Commission; was in the
Legislature beginning in 1944; served three terms as lieutenant governor
1962-68; in Lubbock, Oct. 18, 2003.
Smothers, Clay,
69; black conservative legislator who switched parties twice in the 1970s; ran
unsuccessfully for Congress as a Republican in 1980; in Fort Worth, June 11,
2004.
Sullivan, Niki,
66; raised in Lubbock; played guitar with Buddy Holly and the Crickets during
their climb to stardom in 1957; April 6, 2004.
Supple, Jerome,
67; president of Texas State University–San Marcos 1989-2002, where he
increased admission standards, research funding and the university endowment;
Jan. 16, 2004.
T
Tillman, Floyd,
88; raised in Post, began playing guitar with Adolph Hofner; went on to write
crossover county-to-pop hits such as " Slipping Around" and "It Makes No
Difference Now"; at his Houston area home, Aug. 22, 2003.
Tinsley, Jack,
69; guided the Fort Worth Star-Telegram
to two Pulitzer Prizes as executive editor, retiring in 2000; started as
reporter there in 1959; in Fort Worth, Oct. 12, 2004.
V
Vandiver, Frank E.,
79; military historian who served as president of Texas A&M University
1981–88; also was president of the University of North Texas 1979–81 and acting
president of Rice University 1968–70; in College Station, Jan. 7, 2005.
Vela, Filemon,
68; federal judge since 1980; was member of South Texas family with roots to
mid-1700s; in Harlingen, April 13, 2004.
W
Wacker, Jim, 66;
colorful former football coach at Texas Christian University and Southwest
Texas State University; in San Marcos, Aug. 26, 2003.
Wenglein, George
Herman, 88; CEO and chairman of Luby's Cafeterias 1972-88 when company made
Forbes list of 200 Best Small Companies; in San Antonio, April 12, 2005.
Williams, Helen
White, 81; Manor native was, along with her husband Eugene, longtime
personal assistant in the Lyndon Johnson household beginning in 1950 and until
President Johnson left the White House in 1969; Johnson, in his memoirs, wrote
that his discovery of what the Williamses faced every time they drove back to
Texas was an awakening to the indignity of discrimination against blacks; Feb.
25, 2005.
Willingham, Noble,
72; Mineola native was character actor best-known for role as lawman C.D.
Parker on th long-running Walker, Texas
Ranger series; ran unsuccessfully for Congress from East Texas in 2000;
Jan. 17, 2004.
Wilson, Glen Parten
Jr., 82; aeronautical engineer who helped create NASA; Waco native earlier
was assistant to then Sen. Lyndon Johnson; in Fort Worth, Jan. 8, 2005.
Wood, Gordon, 89;
second-winningest coach in Texas high school football history, mostly in
Brownwood where he won seven titles; Dec. 17, 2003.
Z
Zale, Stanley,
71; executive in the family jewelry business, civic leader was founder of the
Autistic Society of Dallas and president of the Northeast Texas Chapter of the
Cystic Fibrosis Foundation; Jan. 17, 2004. I
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