Ross William Vick, Jr.
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Ross William Vick, Jr., left this world on June 1, 2022, surrounded by music and love from his family. He was born in Dallas, Texas, April 17, 1935, to Dallas natives Ross W. Vick and Mary Randall Vick. The oldest of four children, he graduated from Austin High School in 1953 where he played varsity football. His athletic achievements, however were on the men's fast pitch softball diamond.
Ross was hailed as one of the greatest fast pitch softball pitchers of his generation. He attended The University of Texas at Austin where he joined the Beta Theta Pi fraternity and pitched them to championships. He also pitched for the University All Star team. A complete player, he was also a career .300+ hitter. In addition to multiple no hitters, one hitters and perfect games, most valuable pitcher and most valuable player awards, and state and regional championships, he pitched in four Men's Fast Pitch Softball World Tournaments with teams from Houston and Lake Jackson, Texas. He was inducted into the Texas Amateur Athletic Federation Hall of Fame in 2015. The University of Texas RecSports Complex Patio is named in his honor. In 2017, Ross and his wife Frances were both inducted into the first University of Texas Recreational Sports Hall of Honor.
Ross met his wife and the love of his life, Frances Brannen, in Lake Jackson on a blind date in 1953 at the Regional Tournament held there. As an 18 year old phenom, he was recruited by the Lake Jackson Gators to pitch softball, and Fran was recruited by a Gator player and a classmate to keep him there. The plan worked, and they were married in June of 1956 in Lake Jackson.
At The University of Texas, Ross studied engineering, inspired by his grandfather, Charles Randall, who was an engineer on the Galveston Causeway. While in school Ross worked as a draftsman for Page Southerland Page and inspected the progress of buildings on occasion. He fell in love with numbers and graduated with a degree in accounting and began work at Peat Marwick Mitchell in Houston. He excelled at his work there and was recruited by Beaumont Savings and Loan to join them as a vice president. From there he moved to Home Savings and Loan in Lufkin and was shortly thereafter recruited by First Bank and Trust of Lufkin. There he established one of the first computer based credit card processing operations in Texas with BankAmericard and placed the system in banks around East Texas.
He was recruited by First National Bank in Waco as senior vice president. Then his entrepreneurial spirit got the better of him, and he left banking for bicycles, when he and partner Sam Allison, began importing Easy Rider 500 10-Speed bikes from Taiwan. The venture was parlayed into importing Dinky, Meccano and Airfix products from England. Eventually he bought a manufacturer's representative firm in Dallas, built a grand showroom at the Dallas World Trade Center and began his final career.
In addition to chairing the fund-raising effort to rebuild St. Cyprian's Episcopal Church in Lufkin, Ross and Fran established a plethora of scholarships at UT Austin and supported the Texas State Historical Association, the University of North Texas, and UNTPress where Fran served as a Founding Director. Ross, Fran and their children created the Vick Family Foundation, which focuses on Medical Research, Education and Historical Preservation.
Ross's great, great, great, uncle, James Pinckney Henderson was the first governor of the state of Texas. Ross's pride in being a Texan and all things Texas were legendary in his business circles and cadre of comrades. His gregarious nature made him many friends along the way and all that knew him admired his generosity, enthusiasm, sincerity and love of life. His affection for his friends and family led to the acquisition of a mountain home in Colorado where his annual Mountain Man retreat continues to this day.
Popular music was the soundtrack of his life, and to the end, when all else failed his bright mind, he could still sing lyrics to The Beatles, Jimmy Webb and TrueHeart as well as the old hymns popularized by The East Texas String Ensemble. His star never quit rising until the slow decline of Alzheimer's crept into his sharp, witty mind. His laugh will be remembered and celebrated above all else.
Ross Jr. is survived by his wife, Frances, their daughter Karen and son-in-law Sam Cavazos; son Ross III and daughter-in-law, Julie; son Patrick and daughter-in-law Nelda. Grand children: Courtney and Pete Neria; Kathy and Ryan Stopani; Taylor and Chris Prince; Ross IV and Jessica Vick; Brannen and Ferrell Varner; Ginna and Alex McWhirter. Great grandchildren Emily, Christopher, Ashleigh, Nathan, Seth, Ella, Liam (Ross V), Sullivan, Margot (Mary Margaret) and Ripley. He is survived by his brother Charles and sister-in-law Sheila, sister Virginia and brother-in-law Steve Kisiah. Ross was preceded in death by his parents, brother Randall and niece Lisa Marie.
The caregivers at the Memory Care Unit at Ventana were entertained by Ross Jr.'s sense of humor and love of music as they attended to his daily needs, and he loved them in return. They are a blessing to the family as is David Mann, the Ventana Chaplain, who was a great friend to Ross Jr. and Felicitas Solis, who visited him daily in Hospice in Skilled Nursing. The Skilled Nursing team and the entire Ventana staff, especially the culinary associates, were loving and attentive to Ross and our entire family for the duration of his Hospice journey.
Private family services will be held at this time. A public memorial service will be announced at a later date.
Any memorials may be sent to the Alzheimer's Association or to a charity close to your heart.