William C. ("Watty") Watkins

William C.  ("Watty") Watkins 1937-2019

Bill Watkins lost a one year fight with pancreatic cancer on March 19, 2019.  His family was with him constantly and will greatly miss his gentle, loving, kind friendship. He always had a joke and a helping hand for his friends, patients, and loved ones.
Bill was born on May 7, 1937, to George and Edna Watkins in Lubbock, Texas.  He was a graduate of Pershing Junior High School, Lamar High School, Texas A&M University, and the University of Texas Dental Branch, where he met and married Elena Densford, his best friend and love of his life.
He served as a dentist in the US Navy in Washington, DC, and the Holy Loch, Scotland, aboard the USS Hunley, a submarine tender.
After his naval service, Bill and Elena started their dental practice in Houston on West Orem Drive, where they happily served for 51 years.  They lived in the same house on Maple Street in Bellaire for nearly 50 years, where they raised their beautiful children, Andy and Eron, served the community, played tennis, softball, and made lifelong friends.
Bill was also an avid landscaper, liking nothing more than designing flower beds, planting trees, and enjoying his beautiful yard with its lush tropical ambience.  Twice the Bellaire Home Tour featured his home and gardens.
Bill and Elena loved to travel, enjoying people and places in every continent except Antarctica, which they came close to when they sailed Cape Horn.  Bill intended to explore every one of the 7 Wonders of the Modern World, but never made it to the Taj Mahal.
His was a full, rich life that just kept getting better when his children married into wonderful families and provided him with beautiful grandchildren.  Dr. Andrew William and Heather Haft Watkins, parents of Evan Andrew and Kelly Rose, and Eron Elena Watkins Grant and Dr. Mark Cullen Grant, parents of Kasidy Cora and Cullen William have all made him very proud.
After retirement, he and Elena moved to Cypress, Texas to The Heritage in Towne Lake, a wonderful community of loving caring people, where he happily landscaped his yard on the lake.  He loved playing horseshoes, table shuffleboard, golf, going to lunch and breakfast with his friends, and taking family and friends out in his boat.
BIll was not ready to leave this life, but knew he would be welcomed in heaven by God, his parents, his parents-in-law, and brother-in-law, among other relatives and friends who preceded him in death.
Honored to serve as pallbearers will be Dr. Andrew Watkins, Evan Watkins, Dr. Mark Grant, Cullen Grant, Maj. George Watkins (ret.), Col. Charles Densford (ret.), Maj. Gen. Dan Densford (ret.), S. Sgt. Bucky Densford (ret.), Richard Grant, Rody Grant, and Ronald Haft.  Honorary pallbearers are so many close and dear friends who know they are brothers of his, too.
Bill loved flowers, but he would also love to know that someday there might be a cure for this dreadful disease that took his life too early, so our family selected Pancreatic Cancer Action Network as a worthy organization that not only works for a cure, but counsels patients.  To make a donation in Bill’s name, please visit pancan.org.
A funeral service honoring the life of Bill Watkins will be held at 10:00 a.m., Friday, March 22, 2019 at Trinity Downtown Lutheran Church, 800 Houston Avenue in Houston, Texas.

Helen Raaz Viereck

Helen Raaz Viereck

October 19, 1937 – September 23, 2018

Helen Raaz Viereck was born on October 19, 1937 in Houston, Texas and passed away on September 23, 2018 in Houston, Texas.

Mary Gail Hatch Lewis

Mary Gail Hatch Lewis. 1937-2018

Mary Hatch Lewis was born in Texarkana, Texas, on December 30, 1937 to Reverend Bernard and Lois Hatch, both of whom predeceased her.  She was a professional actress, singer and voice teacher with students who went on to perform, themselves, in New York and California.  As part of her education, she received a Bachelor of Fine Arts from the University of St. Thomas and a Master of Theater from the University of Houston.  Later in life, she received a Master of Anglican Theology and Pastoral Care from Iliff School of Theology.  At the end of her life she served beside her beloved husband of 49 years, the Reverend Huston A. Lewis, at the Holy Trinity Anglican Church in Houston, Texas.

Mary passed from this life to be with God on November 14, 2018. She is survived by her three sons Evan, Orin and Alon Lewis, their wives, Jen, Lorraine, and Mary, and her three grandchildren Drake, Shannon and Zachary Lewis.  Mary also enjoyed the love of her brother Bernard Hatch and nephew Traey as well as her sister-in-law Frances Hatch, and nephew Robert and niece Rebecca.

Funeral Home Services for Mary are being provided by Garden Oaks Funeral Home of Houston, TX.

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Howard Hoover, Jr.

Howard Hoover Jr.

1938 - 2018 Obituary

Howard Spencer Hoover, jr.
1938-2018

Howard Spencer Hoover, Jr. passed away on Monday, the 5th of November 2018, after a brief yet valiant battle with esophageal cancer at Houston's Methodist Hospital. In 2013, Howard received the gift of life through a successful liver transplant at Houston's Methodist through the extraordinary care of the JC Walter Transplant Center's team of Doctors Ghobrial, Gaber, Sahairi, Mansour and Victor.
Howard was born in Houston on the 11th of October 1938, to Lillian England and Howard S. Hoover, Sr. and attended Roberts Elementary, Lanier Middle School and graduated from Mirabeau B. Lamar High School in 1956. He is also a graduate of Southern Methodist University (BBA 1961) where he was a member of Phi Delta Theta fraternity. Howard married first wife Nancy Jean Margraves in 1958 and together they completed their undergraduate educations at SMU and then moved to Austin for three years where Howard completed his law school days at The University of Texas School of Law (JD 1963) where he was President of Phi Alpha Delta legal fraternity.

As a young attorney, Howard began his legal career under the tutelage of his father, Howard S. Hoover, Sr. at Murfee & Hoover now known as Hoover Slovacek, LLP. Moving onto Texas Eastern Corporation in 1965-70, Howard was a division attorney for the natural gas and liquids marketing subsidiary where he participated in all legal areas of the retail and wholesale marketing of propane to rural and suburban customers in the Eastern and Midwestern United States. In 1970, Howard joined Tom Fatjo, Sr. and his partners in the solid waste industry at Browning-Ferris Industries as their chief legal counsel. Over the course of his 25+ year career with BFI, Mr. Hoover served as Executive Vice President, Secretary and General Counsel as well as a member of the Senior Management Committee and of the Finance Committee of the Board of Directors. In the 1990s, he worked as an independent business and legal consultant to Arthur Andersen Houston and helped roll out its environmental consulting practice. In the late 1990s, Mr. Hoover was Co-Founder and Executive Chairman of the Board for American Residential Services. He was a member of the State Bar of Texas (Director, 1982-85 4th District Place 6) along with his father, Howard S. Hoover, Sr. — a rare distinction for a son and father to serve together; Houston Bar Association; Life Fellow Texas Bar Foundation; Houston Bar Foundation; Honorary Lifetime Member, Board of Directors of Boys and Girls Country of Houston; Founding Member of Houston Police Foundation; Lifetime Member, Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo (RodeoHouston); HLS&R Committees: World's Champion Barbecue Contest, Junior Rodeo and Wine Competition; Lakewood Yacht Club and Houston Country Club.

We will miss Howard's warmth, ready smile, wise counsel and quick wit. Howard was a loving husband to Janet for 40 beautiful years; a devoted father to Elizabeth & Michael; fun loving grandfather to Mac, Nina, Ellie & Kate; uncle to Laura & James; friend and mentor to younger lawyers as well as to many younger committeemen with RodeoHouston. In the digital age, Howard's four grandchildren abbreviated his grandfather moniker "Granddaddy" into Gddy. Gddy loved it all and strove to stay current on digital communication advancements, apps, etc. so he could stay in close contact with friends and family. Political and blonde jokes were among his favorites to pass along and if you were "lucky" enough to be on Howard's distribution lists, your crowded inbox reflected his devotion to expressing his opinions on various topics. We will miss Gddy's texts, warning of hazardous or beautiful weather forecasts. Also known as "The Hoove," Howard was one of a kind.

Howard is predeceased by his parents, Lillian England and Howard Spencer Hoover, Sr.; his younger brother, James England Hoover and by his son, Michael Drennan Hoover. Mr. Hoover is survived by his loving and devoted wife of 40 years, Janet Lee Brenner Hoover; by his daughter, Elizabeth England Hoover Rotan and husband Matthew Padgitt Rotan and their children: Edward McCall Rotan (Mac), Nina England Rotan, Elizabeth Sterling Rotan (Ellie) and Katherine Ross Rotan (Kate). He is also survived by his sister Margaret Hoover Perkins and her husband Jim Perkins of Tyler, Texas and by their children James Irvine Perkins III of Conroe & Houston and Laura Perkins Fonville and husband Jerry Fonville and his son Tanner of Dallas, Texas. Howard also leaves behind his lifelong friend & brother in law Ross D. Margraves Jr. and wife Madeline as well as wonderful in law, Liney Rotan and her two younger sons, Douglas McCall Rotan and wife Margaret and their children Patricia, Mary Margaret and Douglas and Clayton Ross Rotan and wife Kendall and their daughters Hunter and Logan; brother in law Robert Brenner; sister in law Susie Smith; cousins Milton England Black, Sr. and wife Bess and their children Milton England Black, Jr. and wife Elizabeth; Kirby Stewart Black and girlfriend Andrea Dickerson and Stewart Courtland Black and wife Kim; Susan Black Gross and husband Richard and their children, Richard Gross and wife Lori; Susan Reedy and husband Robert; and Allison Wallace and husband John.

The memorial service is to be conducted at one o'clock this afternoon on Friday, the 9th of November, at St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road in Houston, where The Rev. Dr. Russell J. Levenson, Jr., Rector, and The Rev. Martin J. Bastian, Vice-Rector, and are to officiate.

Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the adjacent Bagby Parish Hall.
In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to the Boys and Girls Country of Houston, 18806 Roberts Road, Hockley TX 77447(https://www.boysandgirlscountry.org/contact-us/); or to St. Martin's Episcopal Church, 717 Sage Road, Houston TX 77056.

"I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day — and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing." 2 Timothy 4:7-8

Published in Houston Chronicle from Nov. 8 to Nov. 9, 2018

Ted Nagel

Leroy F. "Ted" NAGEL, JR.  1938-2018

Husband, father, grandfather, rancher, soldier, rodeo president, company chairman, wild bronc rider, and dear friend to all who knew him, Leroy F "Ted" Nagel passed on to be with the Lord Jesus on July 23, 2018.

Ted was born along with his twin brother, William G. "Bill" Nagel, in Houston, Texas on April 20, 1938, to Leroy F. Nagel and Jessie E. Lemburg. He grew up in Houston, attended Poe and River Oaks Elementary schools, Lanier Junior High, and graduated from Lamar High School. He attended the University of Texas, studying mechanical engineering, and finished at the University of Houston. In 1967, for business reasons, he moved to Austin, Texas and remained there the rest of his life.
In 1960 Ted married Harriet Olsen of Austin, Texas. Out of the marriage came four children, Fred Nagel, Jennifer Berry, Laurie Zaza, and Elizabeth Schwartz, and eight grandchildren. After 35 years of wonderful marriage, Harriet died on March 15,1995. In April 1996, Ted met Jan Lentz of Ames, OK, and they married on May 25, 2002. Together they enjoyed traveling and football and had a wonderful life in retirement.

Services were held in Austin, Texas on July 28, 2018 at Northwest Hills United Methodist Church. Memorial contributions may be made to the Ted and Harriet Nagel Scholarship Endowment fund, Rodeo Austin, 9100 Decker Lane, Austin, TX 78724. For a full obituary and to leave remembrances for the family, visit www.wcfish.com online.

Published in Houston Chronicle on July 29, 2018

Catherine Murphy Abercrombie

Catherine Abercrombie

Catherine Lee Murphy Abercrombie—1938-2018

Catherine Lee Murphy Abercrombie, age 79, passed away on Tuesday, July 17, 2018. She was born in Houston, Texas to the late Joseph Michael and Emma Lee Murphy on August 1, 1938. Catherine graduated from Lamar High School and then went on to attend The University of Texas at Austin.

Catherine was married to the late Joe Dick Abercrombie and they were members of First United Methodist Church in Kerrville, Texas. She was survived by her daughters Lindy Cardenas, Cathleen Marton, Caroline Beaty, and Christie Abercrombie. She was also survived by her grandchildren Brittany Marton, Ashton Beaty, Beau Beaty, Christopher Cardenas, Michael Cardenas, and Casey Cardenas.

Gigi is what her grandchildren called her. Gigi's happiest times were having all of her family at her house. She loved cooking big family dinners for all to enjoy. Catherine dedicated her life to loving and serving her family.

Catherine, beloved daughter, sister, wife, mother, and grandmother, is now home with her heavenly father.

We want to thank all of the wonderful staff at Cedar Pointe Health and Wellness Center, along with our supportive friends and family. Her family will celebrate her life at a graveside service that Kerrville Funeral Home has been entrusted to arrange.

Published in Houston Chronicle on July 20, 2018

Frank Price

Judge Frank Price

_{1938 - 2018}

Judge Frank C. Price passed away on Saturday May 19, 2018, with his devoted wife and family at his side. Born in Houston on November 17, 1938, Frank Price was a very young 79 years old when he finally met a challenge he could not win. Frank is survived by his wife Melissa Price; son, Frank Christian Price, Jr and wife, Gayle, and grandchildren Brooks, Cole and Rhett of Houston; son Bradley Laurence Price and wife, Gerri, and grandson Connor of Tampa; brother Chuck Price and wife, Penelope, of Houston; sister Karen Meynier of Houston; sister Terry Price Harmon and husband, Judge Bill Harmon, of Houston; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was predeceased by his parents, Charles and Evelyn Price of Houston.
Frank started his education at Poe Elementary, where he collected the first members of his cherished family of friends, "The Poe Group," who have continued to meet for lunch through seven decades, just as they did as kids in the Poe Lunch Room. Early in his life, it was clear that Frank was both a scholar and an athlete. By the time he graduated from Lamar High School, he had become a legendary track star and held a school record for decades in the half-mile run.
His track skills opened the door for his admission to the only college he had hoped to attend, Rice University, which he attended on a track scholarship and championed the ultimate test of greatness in athletics. He graduated from Rice with a B.A. in History in 1961 and went to Baylor University School of Law in 1963. Frank credited Rice and Baylor for his professional and ethical roots and repaid his debt of gratitude by being a lifetime supporter of both. His cherished clan of friends grew to include his Baylor alums and The Rice Owl "R" Club. Later, he added the Whitehall Club to his family of friends, a group of fellows who had breakfast together every Friday morning for 35 years.
Frank started his legal career as a prosecutor, serving 5 years as a Harris County assistant district attorney, followed by private practice as a criminal defense lawyer. Frank's exhaustive attention to every case and his strong commitment to justice did not go unnoticed. In 1974, Frank became the youngest appointee in history when he was appointed by Gov. Briscoe to serve as the judge of a criminal court, the 209th District Court. Frank was truly born to be a judge. His gracious temperament, knowledge of the law and sense of fairness made people in his court feel that the system of justice was indeed just. Prosecutors and defense counsel both state that they left Judge Price's courtroom wishing that they could try every case in the level playing field of his court. Judge Price presided over some of Houston's most famous criminal trials, such as the trial of Lilla Paulus who was convicted of being a co-conspirator in the "Blood and Money" murder of Dr. John Hill in River Oaks. He stood firm in his convictions and guarded the integrity of the system without compromise or regard for self-interest. He had the courage to make the very unpopular decision to grant a new trial in the front-page case of a man who was convicted of abducting and killing his own niece. Judge Price had learned that evidence had been withheld from the defense. In the end, the new trial served the system well, and also brought a second conviction. Judge Price presided in the trial of the notorious "Candyman" who killed Halloween and his young son with poisoned pixie sticks he handed out to five neighborhood children, seeking to gain $31,000 in insurance. In 1981, Gov. Clements appointed Judge Price to serve on the First Court of Appeals, starting his years of service on the appellate bench. Eventually he served as a visiting judge in both trial and appellate courts, serving over 30 years in the Texas State Judiciary. Judge Price personally wrote every appellate opinion himself, with hundreds of published opinions to his credit. His writing beautifully reflected his goal of perfection in both language and reasoning. He was known for mastering tough issues and cutting quickly to the heart of a case by asking a single insightful question. For over 20 years, he added mediation as another facet of his legal career and achieved an extraordinary reputation for bringing peace and creative solutions.
As a judge, he was reserved and shunned attention. It is impossible, but true, that this same man was guilty of trickery and deceit – he was among the greatest practitioners of sleight of hand and close-up magic, performing routinely as a professional magician at Magic Island and many other venues. Training his hands to betray the closest scrutiny took the kind of discipline that was his forte. He took immense pride in the craft of magic and considered it a noble art, his "other" profession. He served as President of the Texas Association of Magicians and occasionally hosted local meetings at night in his courtroom. He kept separate his two professions, with few exceptions. An attorney who had once recognized Judge Price at Magic Island needed an emergency ruling, so he raced to the club, paid the admission and asked Frank if he could turn a magician into a judge. Frank did. On another occasion, Frank finished sentencing a convicted con-artist and then had him deal Three-Card Monte for 2 hours so Frank could study his reveal.
Throughout his life, Frank maintained his passion for sports, both as a participant and as a fan. He was a natural born athlete who tackled sports with discipline and his usual pursuit of excellence. Frank did nothing half-way. His water skiing was a series of stunts performed on short trick-skis; his snow skiing in Colorado was mainly moguls and black diamond runs; his singles handball game resulted in city, state and national championships; and, he repeated the record with his doubles handball game. As a sports fan, he was a fanatic, especially for Houston's Astros, Rockets and Texans. He loved baseball and served as an umpire in City League softball. He was the coach of many championship teams during his 15 years of coaching the Post Oak Little League, including teams on which his own sons played. When he was not the official coach, he coached his sons and grandsons by booming out his instructions from the stands.
Frank would surely enjoy a mention of the fact that he took his sons to the Shriners Circus, where he rode in the Opening Procession on the top of an elephant. Texas Monthly proclaimed that Frank had been voted as "Most Handsome Judge in Texas," and Frank thought it was a joke. It was no joke – Frank was shockingly handsome. His sense of humor was subtle, bone-dry and never unkind. With all that he had to brag about, he never did. He was private and modest, preferring to let others have the floor. One of his friends said that you would have to put Frank under oath to get him to talk about himself, and, even then you would have to lead the witness.
Without a doubt, Frank Price lived passionately, creating a journey filled with joy and success, but his greatest passion was his family, including those in the extended family of friends he adopted along his way. Frank loved his family and was loyal and devoted, almost to a fault. Frank and Melissa shared many wonderful times together with friends and family in Houston and Galveston. Frank loved his sons and took great delight in his role as father and grandfather.
Frank Price led a beautiful life and accomplished excellence in a truly remarkable number of quests. Friends say they never left Frank's presence when they didn't wish the time together had been longer. We share that wish today – that our time together had been longer – but Frank is off on a new journey, ready and waiting, with his familiar deck of cards in hand.
A celebration of the life of Frank Price will be held at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston 77024, on May 24, 2018, at 10:00 am. Those desiring to honor Frank's memory are welcome to make a donation of choice or to The American Cancer Society.

Published in Houston Chronicle on May 21, 2018