Patrick J. F. Gratton

Patrick "Pat" J. F. Gratton, 92, of Dallas, Texas, passed away peacefully on February 12, 2026. A celebration of life and interment will take place at 2pm on Saturday, March 7, at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas. The service will be live streamed for those unable to attend in person and can be viewed via - https://youtube.com/live/i8GSb47IfLI

Pat was born August 28, 1933, in Denver, Colorado, to Patrick H. Gratton and Lorene Johnson Gratton. He grew up in Roswell, New Mexico, with many childhood summers spent in rugged cabins outside Gunnison, Colorado. His connection to Roswell remained strong, returning many times for business and the pleasure of seeing old friends, including hosting a New Year's Eve Party for years. Indeed, this was hardly the only party he and Jean Marie loved to throw. His capacity for making and retaining friends was a central element in his character, one that benefited many around him.

At 17, Pat received an appointment to the Coast Guard Academy (CGA), where again he made lifelong friends and had grand adventures on the CGA training ship, the Eagle. After two years, Pat traded the high seas for deep rocks, entering the University of New Mexico to prepare for a career as a geologist. It was in his first geology course that he met Jean Marie McKinney. They wed in 1955 and enjoyed a vibrant marriage, including the birth of four children, a love affair that would last until her death in 2017.

Pat received his M.S. in geology and took jobs hunting for uranium in New Mexico and Wyoming. As his professors had expected, these first positions proved that Pat could speak the language of the earth. His career was briefly interrupted by six months in Army basic training, including assignment to the Presidio in San Francisco, where an earthquake resulted in his "the earth is shaking, but I'll keep shaving" story. Pat then joined Shell Oil and moved to Texas. After twelve years working for others, he took the adventurous step of becoming an independent geologist, engaging in oil drilling projects in Texas, New Mexico, Louisiana and Oklahoma - remaining active in the oil business for nearly seven decades.

Pat contributed thousands of hours of work to local and national oil business professional groups, including SIPES, TIPRO, Dallas Geological Society, and most notably the American Association of Professional Geologists (AAPG). He served as that Association's President in 2004-05 and received the Outstanding Leadership award from AAPG in 2010. One of his favorite volunteer activities was serving as a guest speaker at colleges across the country and serving on academic advisory boards, especially those promoting the study of geology.

Pat was preceded in death by his wife, Jean Marie and daughter, Liz Lorene. He is survived by his children, Sara Marie, Finn, and Patrick Sean; his grandchildren, Brian and Julia; and his siblings, Molly, Jeanie, and Brian.

One of the signal features of Pat Gratton was joi de vivre, an ebullient and high-spirited approach to life, finding its possibilities always more important than its deficits. Pat will be remembered for his service to his profession, his love of bringing people together, and his unconventional choices in suit jackets and bolo ties. His siblings have appreciated most deeply his kindness and concern for their parents in their declining years. He, and Jean Marie, were generous to a fault with family and friends.

Donations may be made to the "Lizabeth Lorene and Jean Marie Gratton Memorial Fund" in memory of Patrick J. F. Gratton at YMCA of Metropolitan Dallas, 146 Veterans Way, Coppell, TX 75019, or online at donatetothey.org in memory of Patrick Gratton.