Kevin C. McNichol

Kevin was born June 14, 1958 in Detroit, Michigan, to Dr. Lawrence J. and Florence McNichol. He was the fourth of six children and the only boy. Growing up surrounded by five sisters gave Kevin a certain perspective that girls were to be reckoned with. Later his sisters reminded him that they deserved some credit for his marriage to a smart, talented, professional, achievement-oriented woman. They also never let him forget that even though as the boy “prince” he got to have his own bedroom, it was the smallest room in the house. It’s still known in family lore as the “daisy room,” named for the flowered wallpaper their mother never got around to changing. Some childhood highlights with his family included summers boating on Lake St. Clair and weeks up north in a rustic cabin on Higgins Lake. As a young adult, he had one memorable week with his dad, who was an avid hunter and fisherman, at a deer camp in Northern Michigan. After returning bearded, dirty, smelly and deer-less, he decided once was enough.

After graduating from Michigan Tech University with a B.S. degree in geological engineering, he landed his first job with Amoco Production Co. in Tyler, Texas. The job was memorable, not only for the experience, but for the lifelong friends he made there—good friends who were still an important part of his life more than 30 years later.

After several transfers around Texas, Kevin found himself in Midland-Odessa. It was there that he met his future wife, Michele Beaty. Kevin liked to say Michele didn’t remember meeting him, but only noticed him sometime later after they both had transferred to Houston in 1988. He also said he wasn’t likely to forget a pretty, brainy blonde, but had made the wise decision not to date anyone he worked with. He found he had to rethink that decision when he realized that, “Michele was the best thing that ever happened to me.” On Valentine’s Day, 1990, he proposed.

Kevin married Michele Beaty on September 22, 1990. Together, they had three children. He loved being a father more than anything and considered, Ryan, 21, Keely, 15, and Megan, 12, his proudest accomplishments. Some of his favorite moments with the kids were the simple things like seeing their wonder at the animals at the zoo, and sitting happily on the beach, watching them dig in the sand for hours. Kevin loved the beach, and their house on Galveston Island was a favorite place to enjoy being with his family and friends and their beloved dog, Tory. He also liked to travel with them, introducing the kids to new places around the US and abroad. This past August, they visited England and France for a two week adventure. His hopes for his children are what he most cherished in his life: a loving partner with a good sense of humor, wonderful children, a few really good friends and challenging, rewarding work.

Kevin’s long career took him through several organizations, but he found the one that really sparked his engineering curiosity when he joined Bank of Montreal in 2009. With a few other colleagues, they started the Energy US A&D team in Houston. As a Managing Director, he was a key contributor to building the reputation of the US A&D team as one of the most technically capable and successful businesses in the market.

In addition to his wife and children, he is survived by his mother, Florence McNichol of Novi, MI; sisters Kathy (Mike) Lawless, Peggy (Sue Sell) McNichol, Debbie (Phil) Clark, Patty (Jay) Stark, and Anne Marie (Art) Schneider; and numerous nieces and nephews. He was preceded in death by his father.

Visitation will be on Thursday, Oct. 23, 2014, from 6 to 8 p.m. at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home, 13001 Katy Freeway, Houston, TX. A funeral mass will be held the following day, Oct. 24, 2014 at 2 p.m. in Epiphany of the Lord Catholic Community, 1530 Norwalk Dr., Katy, with burial to follow in Memorial Oaks Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the American Cancer Society.