Robert Norman “Bob” Byrne was born in Houston, TX on September 27, 1938 to Emma Pearl Clement Byrne and Robert Leroy Byrne.  He passed away unexpectedly September 2, 2014 surrounded by immediate family.  Bob grew up in Houston, attending Lamar High School and graduating from Rice University, after which he went to work for Price Waterhouse as an auditor and accountant.  He then joined Mission Manufacturing as head of accounting.  Bob married his loving wife Anne Schoeneck on November 29, 1963 in Houston, where they recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary.
After some company ownership and name changes, Bob was transferred to Cleveland, OH as Group Controller for TRW where he and his wife lived for several years enjoying the snow.  They were briefly transferred to Detroit, MI and then relocated back to Cleveland, OH.  After taking early retirement in 1995, Bob and Anne moved to Granite Shoals, TX where they enjoyed boating and fishing life on Lake LBJ.  They subsequently moved to Kerrville, TX in 2006 where they have lived ever since.
Bob was an avid sports enthusiast who loved any sport involving a ball, whether it was playing, watching live or on TV, especially golf.  He enjoyed the outdoors and spent many hours relaxing in the hill country on family land, hunting, walking through the woods or tending a newly planted pecan orchard.  He and Anne traveled extensively, enjoying their many voyages around the world.  Throughout his life, Bob had a passion for helping others. He had been a Stephen Minister and volunteered for numerous activities.    He delivered Meals on Wheels, was President of the Board for Dietert Senior Center, taught Sunday school, mentored an elementary school student, served as Elder in the Presbyterian Church, served as President of a PTO, was Treasurer of two churches and was very active in the Mustard Seed ministry (food pantry and counseling).
He is survived by his wife, Anne Schoeneck Byrne; his three children: son Norman Byrne and wife, Kelly of Sugar Land, TX;  son Bruce Byrne and wife, Heather of Dallas, TX; daughter Catherine Maloney and husband Pete of Atlanta, GA; and his seven beloved grandchildren: Kara Byrne, Heather Byrne, Lauren Byrne, Connor Byrne, Madison Byrne, Teresa Maloney and Kyla Maloney.
The memorial service to celebrate his life will be held at 11:00 am, Saturday, September 6, 2014 at First United Methodist Church at 321 Thompson Dr., Kerrville, TX.
The family has requested that in lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Meals On Wheels at Dietert Center, 451 Guadalupe St., Kerrville, TX  78028 (or online: dietertcenter.org/give.html).

Richard "Dick" Joseph Saad, D.D.S., went to be with the Lord on Monday, the 21st of April 2014, in Houston, following a long illness. He was 75. He is survived by his loving wife of 50 years, Linda Pirtle Saad; son, Richard Saad, Jr. and his wife Shalene; daughter, Laura Saad; grandson, Richard Saad, III; granddaughter, Ava Elizabeth Saad; brother, Edmond Saad and his wife Ernestine; as well as several nephews, nieces and cousins. He was preceded in death by his parents, Edmond Saad, D.D.S. and Nell Bashara Saad; nephew, Edmond Saad, III and his wife Eva; and son, Edmond Mitri Saad, IV. A native Houstonian, Dr. Saad graduated from Lamar High School and in 1963 received his D.D.S. from the University of Texas School of Dentistry, where he was a member of both the Sigma Nu and Psi Omega dental fraternities. He then went on to serve his country as a Captain in the United States Air Force, where he was stationed in Germany. Following his honorable discharge from the Air Force, he returned to Houston where he began and grew a highly successful dental practice. Dr. Saad truly enjoyed time spent at Braeburn Country Club with his golf buddies and Monday lunch group. The family would like to thank all of the doctors and nurses who were entrusted with his care over the years, especially Davita Dialysis Clinic for their loving care. Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from five o'clock in the afternoon until eight o'clock in the evening on Friday the 25th of April, in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston. A funeral service is to be conducted at eleven o'clock in the morning on Saturday, the 26th of April, also in the Jasek Chapel of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, where Rev. Jack R. Pidgeon, Pastor of West Houston Christian Center, is to officiate. Honored to serve as casket bearers during the services are George Bronson, Dr. Frank Gusemano, David Niggemyer, Dr. Allan Philp, Brian Saad and Chester Sappington. Serving as honorary casket bearers are Edmond Saad, Jr. and James Painter, III. Interment is to follow, via an escorted cortege, at Forest Park Lawndale Cemetery in Houston. In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions in Dr. Saad's name be directed to E-Rescue-Houston, Inc., 202 Charon Pt., Spring Branch, TX, 78070; or to the Wounded Warrior Project, P.O. Box 758517, Topeka, KS, 66675.

Jen Tomlinson Schroeder

Jen Tomlinson Schroeder, born November 5, 1937, passed away at age 76 on Friday, March 7, 2014. Jen was married for 22 years to Wil Schroeder and was widowed in 1986. She is survived by sons, Erich, his wife, Tina and son, Cary as well as grandchildren, Chloe and Aaron. Jen was preceded in death by her brother Oren (Tommy) Tomlinson. She was born and raised in Houston TX, graduating from Lamar High School and the University of Texas. The family moved to Knoxville, TN in 1980 with Tucker Steel. She was very active in politics, numerous community non-profits, such as the Helen Ross McNabb Center, National Alliance on Mental Illness, United Way, Meals on Wheels and others, as well as, Cokesbury United Methodist Church. Jen loved to travel and took numerous trips all over the world. In later years, her dear friend Dr. Carl Mathews accompanied her on many of these. She was a devoted mother who always put her boys before herself and clean carpet. Through numerous illnesses she exhibited great toughness and determination, never wanting others to worry about her but always tremendously appreciative of her church and friends who did so much for her. Always there to lend an ear, offer a shoulder to cry on or for just a great conversation that left you feeling better. She spent her life giving us all the best she had, and now the best has come to her. A Celebration of Life will be held at 1:30 p.m., Tuesday, March 11, 2014 at Cokesbury United Methodist Church at 9919 Kingston Pike in Knoxville, TN with a reception to follow. In lieu of flowers, donations should go to Helen Ross McNabb Center, 201 W. Springdale Avenue, Knoxville, TN 37917. Click Funeral Home Farragut Chapel, 11915 Kingston Pike is serving the Schroeder family. www.clickfh.com

MARVIN MACK MOORE

 

Marvin Mack Moore, 75, of Bryan, passed away February 13, 2014.

A memorial service will be held at 1:00 p.m. Friday, February 21, 2014 at St. Francis Episcopal Church, in College Station. In lieu of flowers, please consider donations to the National Parkinsons Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, or St. Francis Episcopal Church in College Station.

Published in the Houston Chronicle February 19.

Jerry Davis

 

Jerry Davis (1938 - 2014)

Jerry Donald Davis, both of Fort Worth and Houston, passed away on Saturday, Feb. 1, 2014. Memorial service: A private family memorial service will be held at Marty Leonard Community Chapel in Fort Worth. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to the charity of your choice .

He was born in Minden, La., on Sept. 6, 1938, to Alice and Dean Davis. Jerry graduated from Lamar High School in Houston and then went on to pursue his doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Texas in 1964. It was there that he met the love of his life, Beryl Hutchings Davis. They celebrated their golden anniversay just last week on Jan. 25.

Jerry had a long and satisfying career with Raymond International, where he served as general counsel and senior vice president. He then went into private practice and finished his career at Kellogg, Brown and Root.

Survivors: Wife of 50 years, Beryl Hutchings Davis; daughter, Elizabeth Davis Miller and husband, Scott McCluer Miller, and their daughters, Elizbeth Claire and Sophia Beryl; sister, Barbara Davis Terrell and husband, James Clark Terrell as well as their children and grandchildren; sister-in-law, Julie Hutchings Park and her children and grandchildren.

Thompson's Harveson

& Cole Funeral Home

and Crematory

702 Eighth Ave.,

Fort Worth, TX

76104 817-336-0345

Published in Houston Chronicle on Feb. 9, 2014

Lamar History: Book order form

Lamar Mascot

 

Onus on Lamar High to join 21st century

by RANDY HARVEY randy.harvey@chron.com        twitter.com/randyharvey         

Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle 10/27/2013

   It is time for the Lamar High School Redskins to change their nickname.

   It actually is past time.

   A good time would have been 15 years ago. According to a 1999 article in the Houston Press, Kenyon Weaver, a Lamar senior, began a campaign the year before to change the nickname.

   His impetus was a vacation he took the previous summer to Santa Fe, N.M. When he started to don his Redskins sweatshirt, his mother, a University of Houston professor, counseled him against it, warning him the name would offend many of the city s American Indian residents.

   Upon returning to school, Weaver used his position as a member of the Lamar student senate to place a referendum before students.

    The only decent thing to do  the only worthy cause  was the Lamar Redskins,  Weaver told the Press.

   After heated debate, students overwhelmingly voted to remain Redskins, although Weaver said his effort was sabotaged by school officials when students were told they would have to pay for the expense of changing the logo.

   Inseparable marriage

   Weaver now is a Harvard-educated attorney working for a major law firm in the nation s capital, where he is reminded daily of his lost cause because of the controversy over the nickname of the city s NFL team.

    There are a lot of parallels,  Weaver said recently.  You ve got the same kind of gut-level reaction here that we had in Houston. Many people find their identities inseparable from Washington Redskins or Lamar Redskins.

   Lamar school officials today say the nickname has not been an issue in years.

   Why make it one?

   Because it s wrong.

   Who says?

   The National Congress of American Indians, which has declared that the use of nicknames and imagery  perpetuates stereotypes of American Indians that are harmful,  the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights, the NCAA and the Merriam-Webster dictionary, which defines the name  Redskins  in particular as one that is  very offensive and should be avoided.

   Among others.

   To an extent, Lamar officials have acknowledged the nickname is wrong by disassociating the school from virtually everything about it except the nickname itself.

   There is little evidence at Lamar that the school mascot remains Redskins, starting with the elimination of the mascot. It was a big-toothed, big-nosed, diaper-clad artificial statue called Big Red that was trotted out at sports events.

   Any new teams, groups or awards will be known simply as Lamar. Drill team members are known as Rangerettes.

   Give the school credit for doing a lot to right its wrong. But it hasn t done as much as some. According to Capital News Service, 62 high schools in 22 states are known as Redskins while 28 high schools in 18 states dropped the nickname within the last 25 years.

   Principal James Mc-Swain, who was in the same role when Kenyon Weaver was a student, said recently if Lamar were a new school choosing a nickname that it wouldn t be Redskins.

   What s the holdup?

   Weaver, while expressing respect for McSwain, counters with a question he might ask in cross-examination.

   If that is McSwain s belief, why doesn t he encourage the school to take the one last, inevitable step?

    If they had done this in 1998, it wouldn t have even registered five years later,  Weaver said.

   McSwain said the nickname was chosen when the school was established in 1936 to honor American Indians, and while it might some day change, the prevailing alumni sentiment is that it remains a positive symbol.

    We want to honor our historical values, to honor the cultural heritage but at the same time be respectful of future views,  he said.

   That s a fine line.

   It is a worthwhile goal to honor cultural heritage. That can be done by teaching it accurately and respectfully in classrooms.

   Lesson One: The term  redskins  is believed by many to refer to the scalps of American Indians after they were removed by bounty hunters.

   Origin rooted in bigotry

   For that reason, the history of Redskins as a sports nickname, as well-intentioned as its adoption might have been by Lamar High School and others, is repulsive. (We can talk later about Braves, Chiefs, Warriors, etc.)

   George Preston Marshall, the NFL owner who changed his team s name to Redskins, was the last to integrate his team, doing so in 1962 when the federal government threatened to cancel his stadium lease. When Marshall died in 1969, his will created a Redskins Foundation prohibiting it from supporting  the principle of racial integration in any form.

   NFL officials, who have supported current team owner Dan Snyder s right to keep the nickname, now are open to discussion, scheduling a meeting Wednesday with the Oneida Indian Nation.

   Closer to home, Lamar High School is named for former Texas Gov. Mirabeau B. Lamar, who supported  displacement and extinction  of American Indians.

   He no doubt would support the nickname Redskins, although probably not to honor them. randy.harvey@chron.com        twitter.com/randyharvey         

Smiley N. Pool / Houston Chronicle

   Fans attending a Lamar High School sporting event won t find the same references to the school mascot  the Redskins  as in years past, with the silhouette on this flag sometimes serving as the only reminder.