Billy Mack Arnold Sr.

Funeral services for Billy Mack Arnold, Sr. will be at the Chapel of Rader Funeral in Longview, Texas on Saturday December 11, 2010 at 1:30PM. He passed away on December 8, 2010. His Christian burial will be at Memory Park Cemetery, alongside one of his deceased sons, Gavin Glenn Arnold. Mr. Arnold was born February 10, 1928 in Corinth, Mississippi. As a bleach white curly haired blue eyed skinny child called "Cotton Top", he spent his childhood years growing up in McAlister, Oklahoma during the economic depression era with a family of poor means and with one brother and five sisters to care for. Contrary to the limited resources made available to him at the time, he graduated from McAlister High School in 1948 with a very high class ranking and honors. Starting in 1948 and until 1950, he proudly served as a Lieutenant and Company Commander in Japan with the 4th Army Division Signal Corp and later attained the rank of Captain and was awarded with the WWII Victory and the Army Japan Occupation medals. After his two years of honorable service, he attended Oklahoma State University and was awarded a BS Geology degree in 1954. He continued his education at the University ok Oklahoma and was awarded a MS Geology degree in 1956. Mr. Arnold was recruited by Gulf Oil Corporation in 1955 for employment as a petroleum geologist to be active in the Gulf Coast region, which included off shore operations in Morgan City, Louisiana and onshore operations in Shreveport, Louisiana and Tyler, Texas. After seven years of employment with Gulf in Tyler, he embarked on a career as an independent petroleum geologist and as a independent oil operator. In 1965, Mr. Arnold suffered physical disabilities from a major car accident that rendered him professionally unemployable. Despite his difficult physical challenges afforded him time, Mr. Arnold managed to continue a career in the East Texas Oil and Gas industry that included ownership and participation in countless oil and gas exploration success stories such as the following; the successful drilling and completion of approximately 700 East Texas Basin oil and gas wells where he was the geological guiding vision, the geological discovery of multiple East Texas Basin oil and gas fields including fields including the Roy Clark Mel Tillis Oil Field in 1983 and the exploitative of many East Texas major gas reservoirs in Oak Hill, in the Tatum and in the Minden Cotton Valley Gas Fields. During the 1970's and 1980's, he was professionally distinguished and noted in multiple press releases as one of the few promoters or "Wildcatters" for exploration and exploitation of East Texas Deep Cotton Valley reservoirs. As a child called "Cotton Top", again "Cotton" would be associated with Mr. Arnold's life as when the press referenced him on occasion as "Cotton Valley Bill". Mr. Arnold was a registered professional geologist and a member of the American Association of Petroleum Geologists and the American Institute of Professional Geologists. Aside from happy memories with his family and his friends or those close in the "Oil Patch", Mr. Arnold's most memorable memories are those associated with the local Gregg Counties Veterans Association team efforts in early 1980's while being a part in the planning, funding, construction and the placement of the Veteran's Soldier Bronze Statue that is currently located in front of the Gregg County Court House that honors all of our soldiers that have fallen during the time of war. His other happiest memories are those of his dedicated services provided by the soldiers he commanded in the US 4th Army Signal Corp company while they assisted the distressed Japanese people during the reconstruction of certain city infrastructures within Japan during the period following the end of WWII. Mr. Arnold is survived by a wife of his previous marriage, Norma Elaine Arnold, a son, Billy Mack Arnold, Jr., a grandson, Andrew Bryan Arnold and his wife Rebecca, a Great grandson, Stephen Arnold and by three great granddaughters, Andrea, Stephanie, and Petra Arnold. Mr. Arnold's sister's two sons, John Arnold and Dennis Teagarten. Great appreciation if forwarded by the Arnold family to his attending physicians Dr. Kiser and D. Huffman, the staff at the Clairmont, the staff at hospice of Texas and all those providing medical care the Good Shepard Hospital.

Billy Mack Arnold Sr.

February 10, 1928 - December 8, 2010