Harold R. Galloway

Harold Reid Galloway passed away on June 18, 2012, at the age of 87. He is now absent from the body and face to face with the Lord in a place of no more sorrow, no more tears, no more pain, and no more death. He is survived by his beloved wife, Suzie; beloved daughters Becky Galloway Carazzone and Jeri Galloway Masterson; beloved grandson Joseph Reid Carazzone; and beloved brother Donald Hugh Galloway. Harold was born August 5, 1924, in Marble Falls, Texas, the oldest son of Harold Hugh Galloway and Lucile Yett Galloway.

Harold grew up in Longview and Houston attending Lanier Junior High and Lamar Senior High schools. He then went on to the Rice Institute where he obtained a Bachelor of Science in Chemical Engineering in 1948. During his college years, he was commissioned as an Ensign in the United States navy and served for 3 years -- part of which was spent in the Pacific on "a mine sweeper that never swept a mine.” He returned to Rice to finish his studies and received permission from President Houston to receive his degree in absentia. He instead traveled to Oakland, California, to join a crew sailing a YMS class ship back to Houston. At that time, only one other Rice graduate since the founding of the Institute in 1912 had received a degree in absentia and the reason was an emergency appendectomy!

Harold loved to play basketball at Rice but finally one of his professors sat him down and explained that he either had to focus on basketball and become a professional or, focus on chemical engineering and have a career in the oil industry. He made the right choice and had a successful career with ExxonMobil. He began at the Katy Gas Plant and subsequently spent his 38-year career in Houston, a very unusual situation at the time. After a variety of assignments at headquarters, the board of directors created the position of Gas Engineering Coordinator and he later became known as “Mr. Gas Engineer” for the U.S. operations of ExxonMobil. He was the first Humble Oil (predecessor company to ExxonMobil) representative on the board of directors of the Gas Processors Association in 1964 and served as president from 1979-1980. He also testified before congressional subcommittees as an industry representative. He performed the first assessment of the economics of a natural gas pipeline from Alaska. Harold always attributed his successful career to the wonderful education he received at the Rice Institute.

At Rice he met the beautiful Sue Haynie, who he married in 1951. They had two daughters who he encouraged to excel in their studies and careers. Both attended Rice University; Jeri also received an MBA from Harvard Business School. His grandson, Reid, recently graduated from Rice, carrying on the Galloway tradition.

After retiring from ExxonMobil in 1986, Harold and Suzie had many wonderful years of travelling the world and enjoying family and friends. Harold became a Master Gardener and Rosarian and encouraged the love for gardening in his daughters. He instilled a sense of pride in “being” a Galloway in his daughters, nieces, and nephew. He was very proud of his heritage and his family and kept that pride alive in all of us. Harold was a man of great honor and integrity and was devoted to his family. He was unselfish in sharing his advice and insights to the many people who came to him.

Services will be held Saturday, June 23, 2012, at the Memorial Oaks Funeral Home Chapel (13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, 77079, 281-497-2210). Visitation is at 9:00 am and the service begins at 10:00 am. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to Rice University Fondren Library. (http://library.rice.edu/about/friends-of-fondren)