Kyle Marshall Fagin

Kyle Marshall Fagin,much beloved husband, father, grandfather and great-grandfather, passed away on July 1, 2010. Marshall was blessed with over a century of good health. He was born on December 11, 1908, in Amelia, Ohio, raised in Chicago and graduated from the University of Illinois in 1930 with majors in Engineering and Geology. Marshall served as the Editor of The Daily Illini campus newspaper, marched in the band and met and married his college sweetheart, Frances Gaston Fagin. He moved with his new bride to Oklahoma in 1930 to work for Shell Oil Company, then to East Texas in 1931 with Tidewater Oil and others settling in Dallas in 1935. In Dallas, Marshall started as the assistant chief engineer at Magnolia Petroleum (now ExxonMobil). In 1945, Marshall became the editor of The Petroleum Engineer magazine. Among other accomplishments, Marshall wrote a series of articles on the oil discoveries by the U.S. Naval Reserve of existing oil and gas reserves in Northern Alaska, including the Arctic Ocean and the North Slope. Marshall’s articles generated widespread attention to the potential for oil production in Alaska. In the early 1950’s, Marshall served as the manager for oil and gas loans at Southwestern Life Insurance Company. In 1973, he became one of the founders and served as President of Fagin Associates International, Inc. which conducted numerous oil and gas studies in the U.S. and abroad. Marshall was a prominent member of the Texas oil and gas industry serving as President of Nomads, Petroleum Engineers Club and several others. Marshall was one of the founding members of White Rock Methodist Church in 1938 and he established Boy Scout Troop 36 there in 1940 where he served as Scoutmaster for many years. Three of his four sons became Eagle Scouts. He helped establish the Corinthian Sailing Club on White Rock Lake where he served as Commodore and also was a founder of the Dallas Corinthian Yacht Club on Lake Lewisville. He was an accomplished sailor, racing and winning many regattas and series; he passed that passion to his children at an early age. Marshall’s family was the epicenter of his life. His family grew to 5 children, 12 grandchildren and 22 great-grandchildren. The Fagin house and swimming pool on Hillgreen Drive in East Dallas, was the place for family reunions and lazy summer afternoons for years, where his children and grandchildren often gathered. After celebrating their 68th anniversary, Frances passed away in 1998. On November 20, 1999, he married Inez Dearen Rucker. Inez was Marshall’s “angel”, loving and caring for him, cooking big meals and accompanying him to the Landry Center where Marshall would swim several times a week. Inez has been a blessing to the entire family. Marshall is survived by his wife, Inez, his children Richard of Dallas; Don and his wife, Lois of Indian Head Park, Illinois; David and his wife, Terry, of Englewood, Colorado; and Elizabeth Fagin Zaby and her husband, Manuel of Dallas; step-children Bill Rucker , Cindy Patraw and her husband Marv; grandchildren, Karen Edwards, Lauren King Butler, Kathy Beeksma, Paul Fagin, Mark Fagin, Carol Keith, Kyle Fagin, Scott Fagin, Allison Zaby and Adam Zaby, and step-grandchildren Lauren and Brian Rucker. Great-grandchildren include Ashley and Lea Edwards; Alexa and Austin King; Jenny, Becky, Nathan and Amanda Krueger; Sarah and Andrew Fagin, Chelsea and Keegan; Josiah, Madeline, Daniel, and Benjamin Keith; Connor, Claire and Chloe Fagin; Kasey, Kody and Marleigh Fagin. Family also includes John and Martha Fagin of Denton, Texas and their extended family, and numerous other cousins and friends. In addition to Frances, he was predeceased by his son, Robert. Visitation will be Friday, July 2 from 6:00 to 8:00 pm at Sparkman Hillcrest Funeral Home 7405 W. Northwest Highway and a memorial service will be Saturday, July 3 at 11:30 am at White Rock Methodist Church located at 1450 Old Gate Lane, Dallas, Texas. Memorials may be made to the Scottish Rite Children’s Hospital, 2222 Welborn St. in Dallas or to the Community Uplift Ministries, P.O. Box 1957, Arvada, CO 80001 or Great Commission Ministries – University of Michigan, c/o Rev. Rick Keith, 8870 Tamarack Lane, Ypsilanti, Michigan 48197.