Pat Mccarley

Pat McCarley passed away peacefully at home on August 27th at the age of 83. Pat was born in San Angelo on May 13th, 1935. He grew up there, with lots of friends and adventures. Here, in his book, he detailed one of his biggest influences growing up: “At some point during high school, I went to the Texas State Fair in Dallas with Bobby Fields and his parents….This year was the breakout year for an entertainment team that would change my life, the first and maybe only time they were ever at the fair, and, as far as I’m concerned, the most colossal superstars ever to appear in that auditorium, Dean Martin and Jerry Lewis were the headliners that year, and when they came on, it was as if I was just welded to my seat….Dean Martin just electrified that crowd. The crowd laughed at Jerry, of course, but when Dean moved around on that stage, sang his little bits of songs, fed Lewis his straight lines, and gave the impression that he’d be doing all of this for free if it were up to him, he was actually speaking to me. What he was saying was, “Well, kid, you’re a looooong way from cool now, but just watch, maybe you can learn something.” Pat watched, memorized 95% of their act in just one show, went home and started singing like Dean Martin. He teamed up with a comic friend, Barry Jones. They started doing their Martin and Lewis act at the high school, venues, parties, dinners, drawing the attention of most of the town, including Pat’s future wife, Betty. Later, Pat graduated University of Texas with a Bachelor’s Degree in Petroleum Engineering. He began his oil-business career with Gulf Oil in Odessa, then joined Coastal Corporation, moving from arid west Texas to swampy South Louisiana, eventually landing in Houston as Senior Vice President of Coastal Oil & Gas. In 1999, Pat and his wife Betty retired from Houston and moved back to San Angelo. He thoroughly enjoyed serving on the board of directors of the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts as treasurer and president. Among his hobbies over the years were playing golf, piloting small planes (he ran out of gas in the air twice), petting his beloved dog Beau, and collecting vintage jukeboxes from the 40s and 50s. Pat also enjoyed writing. His autobiography about growing up in San Angelo is called The Kid, and is still available on Lulu. He dedicated the book, “To my wife, Betty Wehrley McCarley, without whom there would be no story.” Pat took a real interest in genealogy and Texana. A fifth-generation Texan, he was a descendant of an early Texas settler, Samuel McCarley. A historical marker on Samuel’s original property near present-day Houston commemorates the fact that Sam Houston’s army camped there on the way to engage General Santa Anna at the battle of San Jacinto. He leaves behind his wife of 63 years, Betty, as well as their children: Laura and her husband Lee Pilz, Pat and his wife Christine, and son Jaime. Cherished grandchildren are Erica, Matt, Lana, Blake, and Julia. The family gives special thanks for their loving care to Suzanne Rogers, Lindsay Rogers, Elise Marshall, James Brunson. Many thanks also to Kathy Osbourne, RN, of Kindred Hospice. A private family service will be held on October 13th at Fort Chadbourne Cemetery. The following day, a celebration of Pat’s life will take place on Sunday afternoon, October 14th from 1 to 4pm at the San Angelo Museum of Fine Arts. In lieu of flowers, please consider a donation to one of Pat’s favorite charities, SAMFA, or the Coke County Cowboy Church.