Extracted from The Longview News-Journal (Longview, TX)
William Ottis Medlin
GILMER -- William Ottis Medlin, born Sept. 18, 1922, in Gilmer, Upshur County, died in Longview on Tuesday, April 16, 2002, after a courageous battle against a brief illness. He was the son of tenant farmers Willis Berry Medlin and Annie Mae Medlin of Gilmer. In 1940, he graduated from Glenwood High School where he played on the high school basketball team. He then attended Bish Mathis Institute in Longview, studying general business.
During World War II, he enlisted in the U.S. Marine Corps, where he was a pilot serving in the Philippines as a dive bomber. He attained the rank of 1st lieutenant upon his discharge and was awarded two Distinguished Flying Crosses and 5 Bronze Stars for his military service. He continued to serve in the Marine Corps Reserves and was discharged in 1953 with the rank of captain.
Mr. Medlin used his GI Bill to attend the University of Oklahoma, graduating there in 1950 with a bachelor of science degree in chemical engineering. He was invited to join Tau Beta Pi and Sigma Tau honorary chemical engineering fraternities for academic excellence.
While attending the University of Oklahoma, he met and married Margaret Lorene Pounds, now deceased, who was studying nursing education there.
His first employment was with Mobil Oil Corp., where he worked 1950-60 and achieved the position of division chemical engineer. He then took a position with Hudson Gas & Oil 1961-63, where he served as superintendent of plants. He worked for San Jacinto Gas Processing Corp. of Houston 1963-67 as first manager of gas processing operations and, later, vice president.
He then took a position at Continental Oil Co., where he was manager of the gas processing operations and operation of natural gas and gas products in Houston.
During his career, he served as director and vice president of the Natural Gas Processors Association and on the advisory committee for the Gas Technology School of the University of Texas at Kilgore and for the Gas Compressor School of the University of Oklahoma.
Mr. Medlin was also a 32nd Degree Mason.
He retired from Continental Oil Co. to Ore City, where he fulfilled a lifelong dream to own a cattle ranch and to return to East Texas. During his retirement, he continued with engineering consulting work and ventured into several companies, including a company painting airplanes (e.g., 747s) and oil field ventures.
Mr. Medlin was certainly a self-made man, rising from the poverty of East Texas after the depression to attain a college degree and to eventually own and operate his own oil business. Those who knew and loved him will remember him for his gentleness and compassion for other people as well as animals (he named many of his cows); his bottomless generosity; his staunch commitment to good education for self-improvement (he attended adult education classes in Odessa Junior College for Oil and Gas Law and Penn State University for executive management); and especially for his endless capacity for work.
He set extraordinarily high standards for all who were associated with him, and everyone strove to meet those standards regardless of how high they were. It didn't take long for anyone to be around him and not learn valuable lessons on the essence of what things were important for the quality of life.
And how he loved to dance!
His knowledge of sporting events was unprecedented.
He was named to Who's Who in Texas in 1977.
He also served on the Upshur County Appraisal Board.
His four granddaughters, who affectionately knew him as ``Papa Bill,'' and his three daughters will never forget the endless battles for who could catch the biggest fish; although many of the family will bear witness to the many times he had caught a catfish, gently stroked it between the barbs, talked to it and then let it go, only to be caught another day.
In the last two years of his life, he embraced the love and affection of Madelyn Alford, who nursed him untiringly in the last days of his life. Her extended family learned quickly how special ``Mr. Bill'' was.
Linda Karen Medlin Crawford and Richard M. Crawford with their two daughters, Megan Rhiannydd and Alys Eleri of Bremerhaven, Germany; Sharon Ann Medlin Davis and Grant Davis of Arvada, Colo.; and Rhonda Gail Medlin Muir and Don Muir with their two daughters, Krista Nicole and Amanda Michelle of Montgomery survive him.
Services will be held in Gilmer at Croley Funeral Home at noon Saturday, April 20, 2002.
The family will receive visitors at the funeral home 6-8 p.m. Friday, April 19.
Thursday, April 18, 2002
1922-2002