Roll Call Tribute

Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home and Memorial Park obituary
6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, TX 78749 | 512-892-1172

Kenneth Vaughan Terrell
February 6, 1920 - March 31, 2016

Celebration of Ken’s Life
Friday, April 08, 2016 | 1:00 p.m.
Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home
6300 West William Cannon Drive, Austin, Texas 78749 | (512) 892-1172
Driving Directions

Kenneth V. Terrell of Austin, formerly of Midland, passed away on Thursday, March 31, 2016. He was greatly loved and admired and will be forever remmbered in the hearts of all who knew him as the best of men. Ken was born in Eagle Pass, Texas on February 6, 1920, to Frank and Elizabeth Watson Terrell. Raised in El Paso, Texas, Ken played Quarterback for El Paso High School, leading the team to many championships. He then attended Texas A&M University where he studied Chemical Engineering. He graduated in May of 1942, and entered the U.S. Army that day. Ken served in the Army at Edgewood Arsenal, Maryland; Washington, D.C.; the overseas Supply Division at the New York Port of Embarkation and at Oakland Army Base, where he was honorably discharged earning the rank of Major.

While in the service in Oakland, California he met Eleanor Monteath Irvine, and they were married on February 17, 1946.

After his military service, he was employed by the Atlantic Richfield Company, where he greatly enjoyed working for 39 years, including stints in Dallas, Oklahoma City, Denver, Midland and Tulsa, where he retired at a mandatory age of 65 as Vice President, ARCO Oil and Gas Company. Following his retirement, he returned to Midland where he lived for more than 25 years before moving to Austin.

Ken enjoyed competition in all forms, and all sports and games, especially golf and bridge. He enjoyed telling jokes, playing pranks, and giving back to his community. He volunteered throughout his life, including many years of service at the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum and organizing and working at the garage sale for Community and Senior Services of Midland, for which he also delivered Meals on Wheels with his wife every Monday for more than 20 years. His service earned him the Golden Deeds Award presented by the Midland Exchange Club in 1999.

He enjoyed working with kids and he coached Little League in Dallas, Oklahoma City and Denver, worked with Junior Achievement, and taught Sunday school at the Methodist Church. He also served for many years on the board of the credit union which started as Midland Atlantic Federal Credit Union.

Ken is survived by his wife and three children, son, Robert of Denver, son, Rick and wife Toni of Fort Worth, daughter, Cathy and husband Terry O'Connor; two grandchildren, Terrell Kenneth (TK) Flautt and Sarah Elizabeth Flautt; one great-granddaughter, Caledonia Ray Flautt, all of Austin; his brother, Raymond, of Houston and his brother and sister-in-law, Marvin and Gladys Burow of Palm Desert, California. He was predeceased in death by his parents, his brothers, Tommy and wife Kathryn and Frank and wife Jackie and sister, Elizabeth Bogle and husband Bob. He will be warmly remembered by numerous nieces, nephews, friends, fellow volunteers, and former coworkers.


A Celebration of Ken's Life will be at 1:00 P.M., Friday, April 8, 2016, in the Chapel of Cook-Walden/Forest Oaks Funeral Home.

The family wishes to thank the many people who loved and cared for him as the effects of aging and disease stole his independence and intellect. He spent his last days at The Collinfield House, where he was treated with dignity, compassion and humor by a truly wonderful staff led by Tera Hounshell. We also wish to thank Amed Hospice Nurse Laurel Anderson for her compassionate care of both Ken and his family.

Our Father was a very giving man, and as such, he would prefer that donations be given to a charity of your choice or one of the many organizations he supported, including Community and Senior Services of Midland, the Permian Basin Petroleum Museum, or your local hospice.