Paul Oliver Naut

Paul Oliver Naut of Katy passed away April 3, 2011 after a brief illness. The eldest of three boys, Paul was born in Sedan, Kansas on September 1, 1921 to Oliver Joseph Naut and Marie Rutherford Snowball. Following the discovery of oil in Alberta, his family moved to Canada in 1929. After graduating high school he was planning a career in geology or petroleum engineering, when World War II interrupted those plans. Paul, with most of his contemporaries, joined the fight and with no basic training shipped out for the Aleutians to serve in the only land battle fought on US soil in World War II. After the war he completed his studies and received a BS in Petroleum Engineering from the University of Oklahoma. Paul, in the first of many overseas assignments, moved to Venezuela to work for Creole Petroleum. In Venezuela he met his wife Musabelle Coons and they were married in Biloxi, Mississippi. After almost 25 years working for Exxon in locations from Libya to Australia, Paul retired and began a second career as a consultant based in Houston. He spent most of the next 25 years traveling the world advising corporations and individuals on oil and gas matters. Paul finally retired to Katy to dote on his grand kids and tell stories.

Paul is preceded in death by his parents, wife Musabelle, son Christopher Paul, and brothers Arthur Eugene and John Francis. Survivors include daughter Lisa M. Gilkeson, husband David, grandson Christopher of Katy, son Matthew Clark and wife Batiti Ioteba, grandchildren, Paul Joseph, Mary Agnes, Taruru Marie, Bakoaiti Tiim and Joseph of the Marshall Islands and son Edward Joseph, wife, LouAnn of Houston.

Paul’s family would like to invite you to his visitation on Thursday, April 7, 2011 at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home from 6-8 P.M. with a rosary taking place at 7:00 P.M. with Deacon Dale Steffes reciting the rosary. A Mass of Christian Burial will be Friday, April 8, 2011 at 2:00 P.M. at St. John Vianney Catholic Church 625 Nottingham Oaks Trail, Houston, Texas 77079 with Father Troy Gately, officiating. Concluding services Paul will be laid to rest at Memorial Oaks Cemetery.