Obit of Pool Jr., Ray - Cleveland County, Oklahoma Submitted by: Gene Phillips 04 Jun 2006 Return to Cleveland County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/cleveland/cleveland.html ========================================================================== USGENWEB NOTICE Copyright. All rights reserved. http://www.usgwarchives.net/copyright.htm ========================================================================== ::Boyd Cemetery--Boyd TX Pool Jr., Ray 1932 - 2004 Ray Earnest Pool Jr., 72, passed away Saturday, Dec. 11, 2004, after a courageous seven-year battle with thyroid cancer, at home surrounded by his family. Funeral: 10 a.m. Tuesday at Northwest Christian Church, 1113 Wright St. in Arlington. Graveside service: will follow at 2 p.m. in the Boyd Cemetery in Boyd. Visitation: The family will receive friends 5 to 7 p.m. Monday at the Arlington Funeral Home, 1221 E. Division St., Arlington. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorials to the Northwest Christian Church of Arlington or the Arlington Cancer Center. Ray was born Feb. 11, 1932, in Gladewater to Ray Earnest and Margaret Reed Pool. Ray's early years were spent in Odessa. The family moved to Azle in 1945. During high school, he served as a page in the Texas House of Representatives for two terms. He excelled in sports as well as academics, graduating from Azle High School, class of 1949, where he met his wife of 54 years, Mcajo Thomason. He received his B.S. in petroleum engineering from Texas Tech in 1954. His life in the oil industry began as a roustabout in the oilfields of West Texas when he was 12. As a petroleum engineer, he started with Lone Star Producing Company in Athens, Texas, in 1955. During his years with Lone Star, the family lived in Athens, Eastland, Jacksboro and Bridgeport as well as Norman, Okla. and Arlington before moving to San Antonio, where he formed Petropool Inc. While working for Ensearch International Operations (formerly Lone Star Producing Company) his work took him to Singapore, Iran, Africa, the North Sea, Bolivia, Malaysia and Canada. He was recently honored by the Society of Petroleum Engineers and presented with the Legion of Honor Award for more than 50 years of continuous membership. One of the highlights of his career came in 1974, while drilling Bertha Rogers No. 1 in Oklahoma, then the deepest well in the world at a depth of 31,441 feet. Ray and Mcajo married Sept. 1, 1950. Together they made a wonderful home for their children, Sherri, Teresa and Ray III "Trip." Ray was a kind and generous man who thought of others first. He was a beloved husband, father, grandfather and friend to many who will miss him. Ray and Jo's home was always open and he loved to spend time with friends and his family, especially his grandchildren. He was proud of the older children's accomplishments and he doted on the little ones. He was a member of Northwest Christian Church of Arlington and was also a longtime member of Western Hills Christian Church in San Antonio. The family would like to acknowledge the compassionate care Ray received from Albert DiStefano, M.D.; Charles P. Lee, M.D.; the staff at Arlington Cancer Center and Vitas Hospice, especially Susan Harvey, RN and Tommy Milligan, LVN. Survivors: Wife, Mcajo Thomason Pool; children, Sherri Pool Culbreath and husband, Roy, Teresa Pool and Ray Earnest Pool III "Trip" and wife, Jayne; sister, Margaret Burton and husband, Richard; grandchildren, Christa Gatewood and husband, Christopher, James Burleson II and wife, Stephanie, John Culbreath, Ray Earnest Pool IV, Kaylie and Jake Pool; great- grandchildren, Alexes and C. Michael Gatewood; aunt, Martha Riggs; and loving in-laws, nieces and nephews. Published in the Star-Telegram on 12/13/2004. -------------------------------------------------------------------------- Return to Cleveland County Archives: http://www.usgwarchives.net/ok/cleveland/cleveland.html