Frances Marchbanks St. Clair

Frances Marchbanks St. Clair passed away in Austin, Texas on Sunday, May 6, 2012. Frances Marchbanks was born on a farm near Fabens in the El Paso Lower Valley. Her parents were John H. Marchbanks, an entrepreneur and pioneer cotton farmer in that area, and Cora Rey whom he met while negotiating purchase of land from her family. Mr. Marchbanks was the first mayor of Fabens during a time when Fabens was an incorporated community.

Frances graduated from Fabens High School and three years later received a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from The University of Texas in Austin. Following graduation she returned to UT Austin for additional studies toward a Master's degree. She married Dr. Frank Van Lue Patten and they had a daughter, Kay. Following Dr. Patten's untimely death in 1943 she lived in the El Paso area for a few years, then returned to Austin to attend The University of Texas School of Law and later became Secretary to the Board for Lease of University of Texas Lands. While working in that capacity Frances met Hal St. Clair, a C.P.A. by profession, who was on the staff of the Comptroller of The University as head auditor of the University System's branch institutions. One of the branches of the UT System he audited was the University of Texas at El Paso – then Texas Western College. Mr. St. Clair was appointed Business Manager of Texas Western College by the Board of Regents of The University of Texas system to oversee a major building program on the campus and they moved to El Paso, where he retired in 1980 as Vice President Emeritus after twenty years of service. Frances worked for El Paso Natural Gas Company for three years upon her return to El Paso and later became a member of the Business Education faculty of Coronado High School and Coordinator of Vocational Office Education. She received a Master of Education degree from UTEP and held a real estate license.

Upon retirement, Frances became involved with a number of civic, educational, and business organizations, serving on the Boards of the Woman's Auxiliary of UTEP, the El Paso Woman's Club, Woman's Department of the Greater El Paso Chamber of Commerce and Discover El Paso. She was also on the Board of Deacons of the First Presbyterian Church and served as President of the El Paso Realtors' Auxiliary. Frances and Hal were strong supporters of the UTEP athletic program and contributors to the Durham Center and Heritage House building programs. The Frances and Halbert G. St. Clair Football Business Center at the Durham Center was named in their honor.

Hal St. Clair passed away in 1996 and in 2003, following the death of her brother John H. Marchbanks, Jr., Frances moved to the Monte Vista retirement community in El Paso, where she developed many deep friendships. In February, 2012, she went to Austin to be near her family.

Mrs. St. Clair is survived by a daughter Kay and her husband Robert Beasley, granddaughter Kendall and her husband Chip Goetzinger, grandson Robert II and his wife Leslie Beasley, and seven great grandchildren – Brittany, Corinne, and Dalton Goetzinger, and Conner, Kyle, Luke and Lily Beasley.

The family would like to express our heartfelt appreciation to Maria Esther Castillo for her loving care and companionship for the past thirty years and to her dear friends at the Monte Vista for their friendship and support.