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Harold Ogden '59 May 30, 2019 9:34 AM updated: May 30, 2019 9:38 AM

Published in Houston Chronicle on June 2, 2019

Harold Lee Ogden(1937 - 2019)
Harold Lee Ogden
1937-2019
Harold Lee Ogden, 81, passed away in Houston, Texas, on May 24, 2019. Born on July 2, 1937, in Wink, Texas, to John Bennett Ogden and Hazel Smith Ogden, he spent most of his years in Houston, where he graduated from Spring Branch High School. With a degree in business from Texas A &M, then a Jurisprudence Doctorate from the University of Texas, he worked for Mayor Lewis Cutrer, became a prosecutor in the Houston City Courts, and became an associate with the Fouts and Moore law firm.
In 1965 he arrived at his treasured job as Corporate Attorney, Corporate Secretary, Vice President, General Counsel and finally Senior Vice President and General Counsel of Transocean, Ltd., the world's largest drilling company.
Harold enthusiastically traveled the world. He passionately researched genealogy. He dearly loved his children.
Although assailed by Lewy Body Dementia at the end of his life, his bright eyes rarely dimmed, his ready smile graced each day, and his charming sense of humor continued to entertain all around him.
Visitation will be at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas, on Monday, June 3, 2019, at 1 p.m. with a funeral service to follow at 2 p.m. Donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047 (www.lbda.org).



Funeral Home
Memorial Oaks Funeral Home
13001 Katy Fwy Houston, TX 77079
(281) 497-2210
_______________________________________________________________________________________________________
Memorial Oaks Funeral Home obituary
Houston, TX
281-497-2210

Harold Lee Ogden
JULY 2, 1937 – MAY 24, 2019

Harold Lee Ogden came into this world on July 2, 1937, with things to do and places to go. His first trip was at the age of 2 from his birthplace, Wink, Texas, eventually arriving in Houston, Texas. In 1955, he graduated from Spring Branch High School to become a fighting Texas Aggie, the identity of which he was most proud. Although he graduated from the University of Texas School of Law in 1961, he fervently downplayed his time at UT to the superior experience of Texas A & M, where he was a member of the Cadet Corps, graduating in 1959.

During Law School, he performed the duties of Assistant Sergeant-at-Arms of the Texas Senate and worked in the campaign headquarters of Texas Lt. Governor Ben Ramsey.

After receiving his Doctor of Jurisprudence degree upon graduation from Law School, he became administrative assistant to Houston Mayor Lewis Cutrer who later appointed him prosecutor in the courts of the City of Houston. In 1962 he became an associate with the Houston law firm, Fouts & Moore.

He became active in the Houston Junior Chamber of Commerce, and in 1963 chaired the Governmental Affairs Committee of the Houston Jaycees. Under his chairmanship, this Committee won the best Governmental Affairs project in the State of Texas, an award presented to him by President Lyndon B. Johnson at the White House.

In 1965, after a search at the Houston Chamber of Commerce for companies which would most likely provide an opportunity for extensive travel, he secured a position as the only lawyer for an international drilling company named The Offshore Company, (a predecessor of the world’s largest drilling company, Transocean Ltd.). The Offshore Company was one of the first companies to become involved in the promising new offshore oil industry and eventually provided Harold an opportunity to visit almost every country in the world. He delighted in every flight, relished every taxi ride, embraced every foreign language, reveled in every meeting, basked in the excitement of multi-million dollar projects, and savored the camaraderie of his colorful oil-patch business associates.

As the Company grew, Harold’s role progressed to being Company Attorney, Corporate Secretary, Vice President, General Counsel and finally Senior Vice President and General Counsel. In 1990, Harold decided to take early retirement and form his own firm. Then, after his marriage to Sharron A. Maler, also an attorney, they formed the Ogden & Maler law firm. There he specialized in international business transactions, primarily serving clients in the offshore oil and gas drilling business.

During the time after his retirement, Transocean asked Harold to serve as managing director of one of its companies, which required his living on the Mediterranean Island of Cyprus for three years. There after attending to business, he explored ancient ruins, golfed on Biblical terrain, swam in the wine-deep sea, and, from there, with his wife Sharron, traveled to many countries in Europe, Asia and Africa without the bother of jet lag.

For over 40 years, Harold pursued domestic travel in the form of visits to country graveyards and county historical libraries throughout our land in search of genealogical information. From his research, Harold authored two comprehensive volumes of Ogden family history, one tracing the lineage of his father, John Bennett Ogden, and the other, of his mother, Hazel Smith Ogden. This research provided evidence that entitled his active and enthusiastic membership in the Sons of the Republic of Texas and in the Sons of the American Revolution.

In the last years of his life, although assailed by Lewy Body Dementia, his bright eyes rarely dimmed, his ready smile graced each day, his charming sense of humor continued to entertain all around him, and shortly before he passed away on May 24, 2019, at the age of 81, Harold was speaking of things to do and places to go.

Harold is survived by a devoted wife, Sharron Andrea Maler; five bright, accomplished and loving children, Valerie Lynn Ogden Walker and husband, Robert Walker of Brandon, Florida; Stephen Lee Ogden of Houston, Texas; Michelle Elaine Ogden Wood and husband Rick Wood of Atlanta, Georgia; Diana Elizabeth Ogden Henderson and husband Ty Henderson of Owasso, Oklahoma, John Thomas (Tommy) Ogden and wife, Marguerite Ogden of Houston, Texas; a step-son, Nathaniel Jeffrey Olsson and wife Jill Olsson of Vancouver, BC, Canada; sisters, Dorothy May Ogden Clark of Baltimore, Mariland, and Nancy Jean Ogden Wilder and husband, Barry Wilder of Tulsa, Oklahoma; seven grandchildren, Brian Antonson, Chad Antonson, Allison Repass, Meredith Sneed, Kurt Sneed, Nicollette Ogden, and Noelle Ogden; one great grandchild, Edison Antonson; two step-granddaughters, Elizabeth Olsson and Eleanor Olsson, all of whom called him “Granddaddy Texas,” a name he chose and loved; four nieces, and one nephew.

Visitation will be at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, Texas, on Monday, June 3, 2019, at 1 p.m. with a funeral service to follow at 2 p.m. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests that donations be made to the Lewy Body Dementia Association, 912 Killian Hill Road, S.W., Lilburn, GA 30047( www.lbda.org) or to the charity of choice.


Services

3
JUNE
Visitation
1:00 pm - 2:00 pm

MEMORIAL OAKS FUNERAL HOME
13001 Katy Fwy
Houston, TX 77079


3
JUNE
Chapel Service
2:00 pm - 3:00 pm

MEMORIAL OAKS FUNERAL HOME
13001 Katy Fwy
Houston, TX 77079


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