John Dewitt McStay

Tuesday, March 21, 2023 at 11:00 am, Heaven became an even more desirable place as our John, Dad, Pops left us to finish our journey on earth holding the right hand of the Lord as our strength.

After a challenging diagnosis of hemiplegic migraine, followed by a confirmation of Lewy Body Disease, John approached life as he always had. Being a natural analyst, he organized, charted, questioned and tried to reason his situation into controllable size and plan a way to be the best version of what God had made him to be. He felt his last privilege in life was to share knowledge and wisdom with his family that might make their journey more satisfying. Our last “family meetings” were full of sound bites which he hoped would take hold. I see evidence that his hopes were fulfilled.

John Dewitt McStay was born October 26, 1942 to John Dee McStay and Mary Belle Sams in Vernon, Texas. As an only child born to older adults, John felt loved and cherished, a foundation that served him well as he went out into the world from that small, secure west Texas town. After graduating from Vernon High School as an outstanding student and exceptional athlete in baseball, football and track, John attended the University of Texas in Austin where the KA fraternity provided a home away from home and the university offered him the education he needed to chart his course. He received both his BBA and MBA in Economics and Finance from UT Austin. UT also provided the introduction to the love of his life, Ellen Shields. This was a very frightening experience as he was not at all sure he was ready for his life to take this path. However, between semesters of their senior year(1965) at UT, John and Ellen were married and with great confidence started their 58 year life together where they shared a mutual love of the Lord, of each other and a willingness to be open to how the Lord would use their talents.

John accepted a position in the Trust Department of Republic National Bank and they moved to Ellen’s home town of Dallas. Dee and Judge were born soon after and completed the family unit. John was a loving father, not a buddy, with an underlying sense of responsibility to impart his Christian values and understanding of how to live in this world to his children. A lot of this teaching was done by example.

John’s career decisions were always made strategically as opportunities arose. He accepted positions that afforded him the most growth even though he might make less money in the choice. Positions as an analyst at Underwood Neuhaus and Company, as Manager of the Office of Investments, Trust and Lands which became UTIMCO at the University of Texas, as Senior Vice President of the Trust Department of Mercantile National Bank and President of Mercantile Securities Corporation, its wholly owned subsidiary, added to his knowledge and experience. He found associating with his financial peers to be energizing and educational. After he earned his Certified Financial Analyst designation early in his career(1972), John participated actively in the Financial Analyst Federation serving as a National Director.

His success in these endeavors led to the establishment of his own firm, John McStay Investment Counsel, where with his partners, he managed portfolios of major endowments, foundations, universities and high net worth individuals. After the creation of the Brazos Mutual Funds, individual investors were able to have the benefit of his team’s investment expertise. In 2000, with 6 billion dollars under management, JMIC was sold to AIG. All the while, his faith was what drove him to be the best person he could be in the workplace.

Highland Park Presbyterian Church was his church home and he served there as a deacon and elder always ready to use his specific talents where he could.

John’s heart always wanted to help others to have a more fulfilling life. Whereas I might volunteer at the food pantry, he knew his talents and invested in mentoring leaders of the faith based organizations we supported. After we established the Morning Star Family Foundation for the very purpose of changing lives of the underserved in Dallas County, he formalized his mentoring process by forming the Faith Based Forum, a collective of 35 faith based organizations who now meet twice a year to connect and address common areas of concern. There has been quite a progression through the years from our first meeting where all gathered quietly and stayed close to their own group to a now quite rowdy group of friends who now feel comfortable spending time together and calling on one another as need arises. The competitive edge for donors which might have prevented sharing has fallen by the wayside as all reaffirmed how BIG our LORD is and that He can provide for all needs for those ministering in His name and His will.

Never one to forget his roots and the love of his hometown, John established a scholarship at Vernon High School in memory of his parents. Over the years, the Morning Star Family Limited Partnership has supported many Vernon youth through their college time with several attaining advanced degrees in Medicine, Veterinary Medicine, Physics and Christian ministry. He mentored many and I provided the ongoing emotional support for these rising young people. We considered it a privilege to partner with them at this most pivotal time in their lives.

John has reached his eternal reward, but the Lord provided encouragement along the way as John was inducted in the UT McCombs School of Business Hall of Fame in 2008 and allowed him the privilege of delivering the Commencement Address for the UT Graduate School of Business in 2009 where his closing advice was “to be nice”. Very recently, John and I received the St. Philips School’s Mona and David Munson Humanitarian Award for service.

“Therefore, as we have the opportunity, let us do good to all people, especially to those who belong to the family of all believers” Galatians 6:10

Much time was spent with family and friends in John’s favorite place in Bosque County, the Morning Star Ranch. His love of the outdoors for solace as well as recreation has provided a place of deep meaning for all of us. Hico, Texas is our closest town, full of warm, welcoming people with whom John immediately felt comfortable. His west Texas life and his new central Texas home merged into one. Grace Bible Fellowship Church was his church home in town, but his ranch church was the Morning Star Chapel. The ranch and chapel name were inspired by 2 Peter 1:19 which reads as follows: “And we have the word of the prophets made more certain, and you will do well to pay attention to it, as to a light shining in a dark place, until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your heart”.

John is survived by his wife, Ellen, and his beloved children, Dee and her husband, Billy Howell and his son, Judge and his wife, Kerry, who was loved as a daughter, and his 4 cherished grandchildren: Cole Devlin, Macey Devlin, Dutch McStay and Cash McStay. His extended family of in-laws, cousins, nieces and nephews were a source of love and support for him.

Heartfelt gratitude to our medical support team led by our internist, Dr. Paul Neubach and including neurologists Dr. Alan Martin, Dr. Brendan Kelley, and Dr. Bill Dauer, cardiologist Dr. Ben Levine, ophthalmologist Dr. Jeff Russell, dermatologist Dr. Lucius Cook, personal trainer Jason Harnden, physical therapist Sylvia Heck and executive assistants Liz Tomlin and Adi Davis-Collins. With this disease, it takes a village to keep going and they allowed him to function well until the end. To God be the Glory. Amen

The Celebration of his life will be held on Wednesday, March 29 at 2:00 pm at Highland Park Presbyterian Church, 3821 University Blvd, Dallas, Texas 75225. The service will be live streamed at www.hppres.org/memorial.

As John often said at the end of his phone calls, “OK. See you later, Pardner!” or if in a letter, “Happy Trails”.

Memorials may be given in John’s honor to Morning Star Family Foundation, 3628 Beverly Drive Dallas, Texas 75205 because he desired.

“To leave the world a bit better whether by a healthy child,... a redeemed social condition; to know even one life has breathed easier because you lived. This is to have succeeded” -Ralph Waldo Emerson

Fond memories and expressions of sympathy may be shared at www.Sparkman-Hillcrest.com for the McStay family.