Roll Call Tribute

Robert Massie Funeral Home obituary
402 Rio Concho Drive, San Angelo, Texas
(325) 655 - 8121
(325) 659 - 1810
massie@robertmassie.com

Frank Pool, 98, went to be with the Lord, surrounded by his loving family, in the early morning of January 12, 2017.
He was born in Hill County, near Grandview, Texas, on August 29, 1918, to Francis Marion Pool and Elizabeth Rose Morrow Pool and grew up in Waco, Texas. Frank began working around the age of 12, delivering medicine, groceries, bakery goods, and Dr. Pepper. Frank’s teenage work ethic stayed with him for the rest of his life.
Frank received a degree in Petroleum Engineering in 1941 from Texas A&M where he was recognized as a distinguished student and was a member of the Texas Aggie Corps of Cadets.
After graduation, he worked for a short time with Humble Oil until he was called into active duty in the US Army, as America was thrust into World War II. He was a Platoon Leader of a tank company in the First Armored Division and fought in North Africa against the Germans and General Rommel. In 1943, he returned to the U.S. with his commander, General Lunsford Oliver, to help in the reorganization of the U.S. Armored Divisions. During his brief time in the States, Frank happened to meet, fall in love with, and become engaged to the love of his life, Elizabeth Hughes (Dad never was one to waste time; our entire family is particularly grateful for his inclinations during these few months in the States)! Frank returned to Europe in 1944 as a Captain and Company commander of four hundred men and forty-four tanks. His Company, along with hundreds of others, began the long, unimaginably horrific march across France toward Germany. Through engagement after engagement, he and his comrades earned the distinction that we give them today as being “The Greatest Generation.” During his time of service, Frank was awarded the Bronze Star, the Distinguished Service Cross, the Silver Star, and twice awarded the Purple Heart.
Frank and Elizabeth were married on Feb. 16, 1946 in Mertzon, Texas. He worked briefly for Humble Oil in Livingston, Texas. He and Elizabeth moved to San Angelo in 1948 where Frank founded Pool Well Servicing Company and bought his first work-over rig. This was the beginning of his long and fruitful career in the energy business. Frank was an engineer, but more importantly, he had an extremely creative mind which he used to find new designs, new methods, new ways of thinking about the recovery of oil and gas, with safety as his top priority. Pool Company eventually became the largest service and drilling company in the world, operating more than 1,000 rigs in the United States and more than 20 foreign countries. Frank served as President of Pool Company from 1948 to 1978. He then served as Managing Director of Pool Company from 1978 to 1983 and President Emeritus from 1983 until 1995. He continued to serve as a consultant to the oil industry into the 21st century, never losing his intense passion for innovation in the production of energy.
Frank’s life was not limited to running a successful business; he loved San Angelo, and throughout his life, he sought to serve his city, his church, his state, and his profession. He served on the boards of San Angelo National Bank and Texas Commerce Bank Shares, GTE, Hardin Simmons University, San Marcos Academy, the Petroleum Engineering Industry Board at Texas A&M, San Angelo School Board (serving five years as President), The Executive Board of the Association of Students of Texas A&M, the State Board of Education, the Christian Life Commission, and he was a founding member of the Association of Energy Service Companies. In 2007, Frank was named San Angelo’s Citizen of the Year. As all who knew him were well aware, Frank was a man of deep Christian faith. He became a member of First Baptist Church in 1948, where he taught a Sunday School class and served as a deacon.
And guess what? He loved to play, too! He loved to play golf, fish, hunt, travel, and “go to the ranch” with his best friend and brother-in-law, Trice Davis. And he loved those Aggies, using any excuse to go to Aggieland and Kyle Field! Most importantly, he loved being with his family—first his wife, Elizabeth, and his three children, Frank, Mary Ellen, and Martha, and later his grandchildren and great grandchildren. He adored his brother-in-law, Vester Hughes, his sisters, his nieces and nephews, and he loved being a part of their lives. Besides his own home, his favorite place on earth was Lake City, Colorado, where he and Elizabeth enjoyed friends and family in their beautiful mountain home. This place was Dad’s “heaven on earth.”
He was preceded in death by his parents; his wife of 66 years, his sweetheart, Elizabeth Pool; his beloved son, Frank M. Pool, Jr.; and his two sisters, Rosemary Davis and Betty Roof.
He is survived by his two daughters, Mary Ellen Hartje and Martha Jean Elder; daughter-in-law, Valrie Pool; brother-in-law, Vester T. Hughes, Jr.; grandchildren, Lara West (Tim), Kristen Hartje (Mike), Lauren Martin (Taylor), Erin Coy (Jake), Elizabeth Chambers (David), and Stephen Elder (Wynne); Great Grandchildren, Owen Martin, Charlie Martin, Natalie Coy, Rose Chambers, Lawson Chambers, Camp Elder, Asher Elder, and Michael Carson; numerous nieces, nephews, and cousins; and lifelong friend, Ossie Thomas.
Our family would like to express deep gratitude to the loving and loyal caregivers who took care of Dad in his home: Linda, Judy, Mandy, Leni, Lisa M, Lisa W, Lacy, Jessica, Emily, Maria, Chrystal, Lauren, Melissa, Vicki, Ashleigh, Deena, and the Hospice Angels.
Memorials may be made to Hospice of San Angelo, First Baptist Church, Meals for the Elderly, Frank M. Pool, Jr. Graduate Scholarship Endowment (Angelo State University), Water for All (Southland Baptist Church), or the charity of your choice.
Hearing the news of Dad’s death, a dear friend wrote: “One of the greatest men I have ever known and one of the greatest friends I have ever had has completed his time on earth with magnificent service to country, community, family, and friends—everyone he knew. We on earth will miss him greatly—as there is no one exactly like him.” To know him, truly, was to love him.


VIEWING
Sunday
15

Jan

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Robert Massie Funeral Home
402 Rio Concho Drive
San Angelo, TX 76903


VIEWING
Monday
16

Jan

8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Robert Massie Funeral Home
402 Rio Concho Drive
San Angelo, TX 76903


MEMORIAL SERVICE
Tuesday
17

Jan

11:00 AM
First Baptist Church
37 E. Harris Avenue
San Angelo, TX 76903

Rev. Martus Miley, officiating
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Robert Massie Funeral Home services notice
402 Rio Concho Drive, San Angelo, Texas
(325) 655 - 8121
(325) 659 - 1810
massie@robertmassie.com

FRANK MORROW POOL
August 29, 1918 - January 12, 2017

Obituary forthcoming.


VIEWING
Sunday
15
Jan

1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Robert Massie Funeral Home
402 Rio Concho Drive
San Angelo, TX 76903


VIEWING
Monday
16
Jan

8:00 AM - 8:00 PM
Robert Massie Funeral Home
402 Rio Concho Drive
San Angelo, TX 76903


MEMORIAL SERVICE
Tuesday
17
Jan

11:00 AM
First Baptist Church
37 E. Harris Avenue
San Angelo, TX 76903
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
San Angelo icon Frank Pool dies

Michael Kelly, San Angelo Standard-Times Published 4:30 p.m. CT Jan. 13, 2017 | Updated 6:08 p.m. CT Jan. 13, 2017

Pool was leading light in petroleum industry, headed school board during desegregation era

One of San Angelo’s leading citizens has died.

Frank Pool died early Thursday at age 98. Pool was an innovative businessman in oil field technology and a former board member of the San Angelo Independent School District. In 2007, he was named Citizen of the Year by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce.

According to Standard-Times archive stories, Frank Morrow Pool was born in Grandview. Texas, in 1918 and attended school in Waco. He graduated from Texas A&M University in 1941 with a degree in petroleum engineering and went to work for Humble Oil and Refining Co. He was called to active duty in the Army in 1942 and went to basic training at Fort Knox, Kentucky.

Pool earned a Distinguished Service Cross as leader of a tank company during the campaign on the Rhine River in Germany, along with other decorations including the Silver Star, Bronze Star, Purple Heart and the Legion of Merit from France. He served with the Fifth Armored Division and reached the rank of major.

After the war he returned to work at Humble but left in 1948 to found Pool Well Servicing in San Angelo. His decision was based on experience and research of geological maps suggesting that the city was the center of West Texas oil activity — and the fact that his wife, Elizabeth Hughes, was from Mertzon. His partner was R.W. "Pete" Gerlich, a former classmate at A&M.

“Pool … is a bundle of nervous energy,” a Standard-Times reporter wrote in a profile published in 1956. “His hands are in constant motion while he is in the office, stopping only when he starts talking about hunting prospects for the year.”

By that time, Pool Well Servicing had three rigs, 26 service vehicles and more than 250 employees.

Pool Well Servicing was acquired by Lone Star Gas Co., which later became part of ENSERCH Corp., in 1972, but Pool remained as managing director until 1983. The firm marked its 40th anniversary in 1988, by which time it had 500 rigs operating in 30 countries.

He was not only a business giant and engineer but also an innovator, developing the portable drilling rig, which could be moved from one well drilling job to another, a landmark breakthrough in the petroleum industry.

In addition to his business successes, Pool also was a prominent public servant. He was president of the San Angelo school board from 1954-59 and a strong advocate of integration in schools. Following the landmark Brown v. Board of Education ruling, San Angelo was among the first four school districts in Texas to adopt an official policy of school integration. In June 1955, the board moved to close Blackshear High School, the city’s secondary education center for black students, and move its students to San Angelo High School.

Although the transition was not without problems, outside the city the problems were more pronounced. Some out of town schools refused to play against an integrated sports team, and when the school choir went to a competition in Dallas, the group was refused entry. The superintendent at the time, G.B. Wadzek, said, “We told them we wouldn’t be back next year.”

Remembering the era 30 years later, Pool told a Standard-Times reporter in 1984, “I frankly could not see why we had waited so long to remove some of the barriers.”

Pool afterward served several years on the State Board of Education as a Democrat.

In addition to holding board positions on many of the state’s oil-related industry and advocacy associations, Pool was a member of the board of deacons for the First Baptist Church and served several other civic organizations. He taught Sunday school at the big church on Harris Street for 50 years.

Pool was named Citizen of the Year in January 2007 by the San Angelo Chamber of Commerce. Howard Taylor, San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts director and the presenter of Pool's award, said, "As someone in the nonprofit world, I know the importance of community members who devote time and resources to local groups."

Pool is "not a man of the year, but a man of the century," Taylor said. "His contributions to the community have been nonstop for years and years."

In a column for the Standard-Times in August 2013, editorial board member Dudra Butler wrote in wishing Pool a happy 95th birthday, “He is loved and respected by so many around the world and primarily here in San Angelo,” she said.

Pool married Elizabeth Hughes of Mertzon in 1946, and the couple had three children. He is survived by his two daughters, Mary Ellen Hartje and Martha Jean Elder, both of San Angelo. His wife Elizabeth died in 2012. His son, Frank Pool Jr., was killed in an airplane crash in 2008.

Viewing for Frank Pool will be held at Robert Masse Funeral Home from 1-5 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 15, and 8 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday, Jan. 16. A memorial service will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Jan. 17, at First Baptist Church.