Roll Call Tribute

Ben William Bickham
OCTOBER 24, 1929 – FEBRUARY 19, 2021

Ben William Bickham was born on October 24, 1929 to Sandy and Tince Bickham in Taft, Texas where he grew up the only child on a farmstead.

When he was 17, he headed off to College Station to attend the Agriculture and Mechanical College of Texas. As a student and Proud Member of The Fightin’ Texas Aggie Band he was elected to captain of the consolidated Staff of the Maroon Band. He was also the Social Chairman of the A&M Brush Country Club and a member of the American Society of Engineers. In the midst of his collegiate years, one weekend back home at a community dance, he met the love of his life Miss Ann Howery of Aransas Pass. In the summer of 1950, he graduated from Texas AMC with a degree in Agricultural Engineering and married Ann on July 16, 1950 in the Aransas Pass United Methodist Church. In the first years of their marriage, Ben served two years in the United States Army Air Corps. and was stationed in Alexandria, Louisiana where they had their son, Ben William Bickham Jr. on August 28, 1951. They were then relocated to San Antonio, Texas where they had daughter, Belinda Gay Bickham and shared his birthday, on October 24, 1952. After some time between San Antonio and Richmond, the family moved to Bay City, Texas. On July 24, 1957, Ben and Ann’s youngest daughter, Brenda Ann Bickham, was born and died in Bay City, Texas. The family moved to Houston, Texas in 1967 where he resided until death.

Ben worked as a Civil Engineer with several companies including Brown and Root and his long stint with Binkley and Holmes, later named Binkley and Barfield, where he worked his way to a position of Vice President in his latter years. In his young career as an engineer, he helped to design part of the Van Vleck airport. He retired in 2001, shortly after celebrating his and Ann’s 50th wedding anniversary, though he continued doing some consulting work for engineering firms until he was no longer able to.

Weekends were spent at Caney Creek in Sargent until retirement when Ben and Ann purchased and built their dream home in Northwest Houston. He taught his grandkids how to ski (some caught on, one did not), fish, drive a riding lawn mower, and the importance of washing every centimeter of the boat before we could ever go home. Weekends with him were unforgettable and sever as some of our most notable memories of childhood.

His pride and joy were his grandchildren whom he did not go a week without seeing at some point. Granddaughter Johnnie Lynn would visit from Florida during her childhood summers and Ben and Ann would visit Florida when they could. When Belinda’s family moved to New Braunfels in 1994, he quickly found a new love for the Texas Hill country and visited often to see baseball games, and marching band events where he beamed with pride. He was a big part of Kristyn and Justin attending Texas A&M, so they could have matching Aggie rings like their Papaw, which he presented to each of them on their Ring Days. To say his grandkids were just as proud of their Papaw would be an understatement.

Waiting to welcome him at the Gates with wide open arms were his parents, daughters Brenda, Belinda and son- in- law Doug, cousins, and dearest best lifelong friends.

Living in the wake of his memory and carrying out his legacy until we all meet again, wife Ann, son Benny (Linda), grandchildren Johnnie Lynn (David), Kristyn, Justin (Brittany), and numerous family and friends.

A visitation for Ben will be held Friday, April 23, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 11:30 AM at American Heritage Funeral Home, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A funeral service will occur Friday, April 23, 2021 from 11:30 AM to 12:30 PM, 10710 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038. A committal service will occur Friday, April 23, 2021 from 12:45 PM to 1:45 PM at Houston National Cemetery, 10410 Veterans Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77038.

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.AmericanHeritageFuneralHome.com for the Bickham family.

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