Mack Stoeltje

Mack Stoeltje was born to Joe Stoeltje and Allie Glynn Wesson Stoeltje in Austin, Texas on March 31, 1930. After a long struggle with Parkinson’s disease he died in Austin, Texas on February 26th, 2011.

He attended public schools in Nederland and Beaumont, Texas and he graduated from Beaumont High School in 1948. He attended Texas A&M for one year before starting his college education. He received his undergraduate degree in Structural Engineering from the University of Texas in 1954 and his master’s degree in 1968. At the University he was a member of the Texas Cowboys and the Delta Kappa Epsilon fraternity.

He married Janet Lee in 1954 and they lived in Winter Haven, Florida, Charleston, South Carolina and Hickam, AFB Hawaii during his five-years in the United States Air Force where he was a pilot. While at Charleston Air Force Base, Mack played football and was voted the second team all Air Force quarterback in 1956.

During his early professional engineering career Mack and Janet lived in Beaumont and Houston before returning to Austin where his office, Stoeltje and Associates, designed the structures for many public and private buildings in Austin and around the State. Mack was well respected by the building design, engineering and construction professionals.

Mack and Janet were active in the First Baptist Church of Austin until he was no longer able to leave the house. They were also active in the leadership of the Laguna Gloria Art Museum during the 1970’s. Mack was a member of the West Austin Rotary Club. He was recognized by the University of Texas Athletic Department for his thirty-five plus years as a volunteer judge at the Texas Relays.

Mack was preceded in death by his parents, Dr. and Mrs. Joe Stoeltje. He is survived by his wife, Janet Lee Stoeltje, his daughter Lisa Shannon Stoeltje and his granddaughter Mackenzie Barrett Stoeltje of San Francisco, and by Mack’s son Steven Mack Stoeltje and Steve’s wife Tanya Lott of Austin. Also surviving him are his brother Joe Stoeltje and Joe’s wife Jenny Peterman-Stoeltje of Austin and Janet’s sisters, Betty Lee Gold of Los Angeles, California and Julie Lee Kidd of Austin. His nephews and nieces include Laura and Ray Bousquet of Bastrop, Clay and Shauna Kidd of Austin, Elizabeth and Bruce Roberts of Corpus Christi, Rodney Kidd of Lubbock and Kathleen Procter and David Herrington of Houston.

Mack will be remembered for his enjoyment of his many friends and for his civic and University interest. He was always a gracious host and a welcomed guest and a loyal Longhorn.

Visitation will be on March 3rd from 9:00 to 9:30 a.m. at Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home, 3125 N Lamar, followed by a 10:00 a.m. graveside service in Austin Memorial Park Cemetery, 2800 Hancock Dr. (family and close friends only please). Services will be at the First Baptist Church, 901 Trinity St. at 11:00 a.m. officiated by Dr. Roger Paynter. A reception will follow at 12:00 p.m. Honorary pallbearers are “T” Jones, Truman Breed, Bubba McDonald, Hub Ingram, Bill Warren, Alton Greeven, Bud Colwell, and Jack Goodman.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Parkinson’s Disease Foundation. (pdf.org)