Martin Benjamin Gantt Jr.

Ben was born on December 30, 1930 in Fort Worth, Texas to Martin Benjamin Gantt, Sr. and Sallie Pansy Withers. He was preceded in death by his parents, and his sister, Mary Louise (Sug) Gantt Stearns. His father was a Railway Mail Service postal clerk who sorted and delivered mail from railway post offices. His mother raised her two children, then worked as a teller at Fort Worth Federal Credit Union. Both parents were active in Freemasons and Eastern Star.

Ben graduated from Handley High School near Fort Worth in 1948 where he was a class leader, head cheerleader and active in DeMolay. He attended Rice University on a Navy R.O.T.C. scholarship where he swam competitively and served as student council member and business manager of the yearbook until his graduation in 1952. He served in the U.S. Navy during the Korean War from 1952 to 1955, and then graduated with an M.B.A. from Harvard University in 1957. Upon graduation, he began working for Humble Oil and Refining Company in Baytown. Next, he worked in the marketing department at Exxon where his role included transfers to Charlotte, NC and Naperville, IL before joining the Treasury Department in the Houston office. He retired from Exxon after 33 years.

His wife, Frances Mary Cockrell, met Ben on a blind date. They married on April 18, 1959 and remained married for 56 years until his death. Fran and Ben had three children, Kimberly in 1960, Cheryl in 1962, and David in 1965. While raising his children, Ben helped coach various baseball and soccer teams, volunteered with PTA and booster clubs, served as treasurer of the Memorial Hollow Civic Club, and was elected to the Spring Branch ISD school board for six years. He also served as a Harris County grand juror and election official. After retirement, he devoted time to genealogy by co-writing and publishing two books on the Gantt family ancestors.

Ben joined Boy Scouts at age 11 and became his troop’s first Eagle Scout. He remained an active member of scouting for over 70 years as troop leader and assistant scoutmaster, teaching merit badge skills, especially swimming, to many scouts. During his years in scouting, he received the Wood Badge and the Silver Beaver Award for distinguished service. His son David and grandson Conner are Eagle Scouts from Troop 642 where Ben was an assistant scoutmaster.

Ben is survived by his wife, Frances Cockrell Gantt; daughters, Kimberly Fletcher and husband Keith, Cheryl Waughtal and husband Scott; son, David Gantt and wife Erica Yaeger; grandchildren, Jennifer and Emily Gueldner, Amy Lyle and husband Cory, Conner and Walker Waughtal, Catherine and Will Gantt.

The family invites you to a memorial service on Thursday, August 13, 2015 at 3:00 pm in the Chapel at Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church, 11612 Memorial Drive, Houston, TX 77024, with a reception to follow in the Parlor.

In lieu of flowers, donations in his memory may be directed to the Boy Scouts of America:

The Memorial Tribute Fund

In memory of M. Benjamin Gantt, Jr.

Sam Houston Area Council

P.O. Box 924528

Houston, Texas 77292

or donate online at:

www.samhoustonbsa.org/memorial-tributes