Arthur Upshaw Boone

Arthur Upshaw Boone, a descendant of Daniel Boone, was born on August 13, 1921 in Owensboro, Kentucky, to Dr. William Cook Boone and Ruth Trotter Boone. He went home to be with the Lord on October 6, 2008. Arthur graduated from Jackson High School in Jackson, Tennessee and was an all-state tackle on the football team. His father said that he could go to any university as long as it was a Baptist university. He attended Baylor University in Waco, Texas, where he excelled in academics and played football for two years and, following an injury, became the keeper of the Baylor Bear for the next two years. While at Baylor, he met Mary Cunningham from San Antonio, Texas, who would become his future wife and lifelong companion. He graduated from Baylor in 1943 with a degree in business and was accepted to the Harvard Business School. However, World War II ensued and he joined the Navy and became a Munitions Officer. While on leave, he married Mary Cunningham on June 26, 1944 in San Antonio, Texas. During the war, he served as a Lieutenant on the aircraft carrier USS Saratoga until his release from active duty in 1946. Following World War II, he moved to Austin, Texas to become involved with the then infant frozen food industry. He began a branch operation in Austin with the Glazier Frozen Food Company of Houston, Texas. In the beginning, he answered the phone, pulled the product from the warehouse and delivered the product to the customer in his 1946 Plymouth. He purchased this branch in 1954 and founded Frostex Foods. Frostex Foods became a locally dominate frozen food distributor through the late fifties, sixties and early seventies. In 1977, he was joined by his son, Bill, and this Boone team expanded Frostex Foods into a major regional distributor selling frozen foods, grocery products, paper products and equipment to the entire food service industry in Texas, Oklahoma, Louisiana and Arkansas. Frostex Foods was merged with Kraft Foods in 1987. Arthur achieved his goal of being an innovative and influential pioneer in the food distribution industry. During his forty years of involvement in the industry, he not only greatly expanded his own successful distribution company, but he was a founder of many other organizations. He was a founder of the Southwestern Frozen Food Association and the nationally known Frosty Acres brand. He served as President and Chairman of the National Frozen Food Association and was one of the early inductees into the Frozen Food Hall of Fame. The Small Business Administration made him the Texas recipient of the "Small Businessman of the Year" in 1966. He was the recipient of the Albert Gallatin Award in 1974 for Outstanding Achievement in Business and Community Involvement. His company, Frostex Foods, won the Innovative Distributor Award of Merit in 1981 from ID Magazine. In addition to his business accomplishments, Arthur was extremely active in the Austin community. He was a member of the downtown Austin Rotary Club for 30 years, a member of the Advisory Board of the Salvation Army, active with the Special Olympics, a member of the Austin Admiral's Club and the Headliner's Club, as well as a lifetime supporter of Baylor University. He, along with some of his good West Austin friends, founded the West Austin Optimist Club, and spent hours working with kids. Arthur had a lifelong relationship with Jesus Christ that was abundantly evident to everyone he met. He was a Deacon at First Baptist Church and was later Chairman of the Board of Deacons at Hyde Park Baptist Church where he and Mary were faithful members for many decades. In 1982, Arthur and Mary donated the bell tower and steeple to the newly constructed Hyde Park Baptist Church sanctuary dedicating the bell to their parents. Second only to his faith and his family was Arthur's great passion for trains and his private railcar. Together, he and Mary, with family and friends, took many trips across the United States and Canada on their private railcar - The Boonesborough, hooking onto Amtrak and enjoying the ride. He was President of the Private Railcar Owners' Association. Arthur desired a renewed interest in rail travel in central Texas, so in 1992, he and some of his railroad friends founded The Austin Steam Train Association. This Association restored the old Southern Pacific steam engine #786 so that everyone in central Texas could enjoy a steam train ride and share his fascination with trains. In addition to his love of trains, Arthur had a passion for travel in the United States and abroad. He and Mary visited many continents and different countries often with family or friends by their side. He would always plan his next trip while returning from his current voyage. "Big Daddy", as he was known to his family, was a loving and devoted husband, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather. His life was devoted to hard work and serving and helping others. His embracing joy and curiosity for life welcomed strangers as though they were family and enriched all people that he met. He was a man of tremendous humility, honor, grace and inspirational living faith. His kind smile, generosity, gentle demeanor and unceasing appetite for sweets, especially Grandmary's banana pudding, were his trademarks. He adored Mary and they spent 64 wonderful years together raising their children, doting on their grandchildren and great-grandchildren and traveling all over the world. They were truly soul mates and the love and admiration they had for each other was evident to all. Arthur was preceded in death by his beloved daughter, Mary Carol Boone, and by sisters Ruth Fusselle, Martha Foust and Nan Arendall. He is survived by his wife, Mary Cunningham Boone of Austin, his son Bill and Ann Boone of Austin, his son Jim and Susan Boone of Houston, his granddaughter Mary Nell and Doug Suell of Houston, his granddaughter Jenny Boone of Austin, his grandsons Trey and Ty Boone of Houston, his great-grandsons Doug and William Steen Suell of Houston, his great-granddaughter Sarah Jane Boone Suell of Houston, his brother, William C. Boone of Louisville, Kentucky, as well as other extended family members. The family would like to extend special thanks to Big Daddy's traveling companion and dear friend, Bruce Duncan, for his special companionship in the last ten years - along with the caring services of Jackie Verdorn, Diane, Florence, Linda and the other employees of Hill Country Care Providers. We also express a very special thanks to Georgia Tucker, Helaine Roberts and Mary Alice Cortez. We will miss you Big Daddy, but we will always remember you. Your life is an inspiration to all of us and we will forever cherish all of the memories and moments that we have shared. There will be a visitation on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 from 5:00 to 7:00 p.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home. Following a private family burial at Austin Memorial Park, a memorial service will be held on Thursday, October 9, 2008 at 2:00 p.m. at Hyde Park Baptist Church. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made either to the Austin Steam Train Association, P.O. Box 1632, Austin, Texas 78767 or to Hyde Park Baptist Church, 3901 Speedway, Austin, Texas 78751.