Obituary of Stanmyre, Frederick William

Frederick W. Stanmyre, age 78, of Dallas passed away peacefully on Saturday, March 17, after a brave, decade-long battle with multiple health issues. The oldest of five children, Fred was born on February 5, 1940, in Syracuse, New York, to Lea and Rudolph (Bill) Stanmyre. He graduated from St. Vincent De Paul High School in Syracuse, where he was a top student, a star basketball player (his team of only five students made it to the final game of the state championship), and prom king. He attended General Motors Institute (now known as Kettering Institute) and Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where he graduated in 1961 with a degree in mechanical engineering. He also studied at the University of Virginia’s Darden School and at Harvard University. After graduating from college, Fred joined Caltex Petroleum Corporation, the overseas joint venture between Chevron and Texaco, where he spent the entirety of his successful 35-year career, retiring in 1996 as the chief executive of Caltex’s oil services subsidiary. Fred found great joy in working for Caltex. He enjoyed the professional challenges, made lifelong friends, and had the opportunity to live and work in Germany, Korea, Japan, Okinawa, England, the Philippines, China, Saudi Arabia, South Africa, and Hong Kong, where he led the development of Riviera Gardens, a multi-billion-dollar real estate project comprising 19 residential towers, schools, and a commercial center. Fred was preceded in death by his parents and his beloved cat, Scruff. He is survived by his former spouse Karen Knapp Stanmyre of San Diego; son Richard Stanmyre of Dallas; daughter Carla Stanmyre McDonald, son-in-law Jack McDonald, and granddaughters Ava and Devin, all of Austin, Texas; brother Charlie and his wife Josie of Reston, Virginia; sister Mary Maggio and her husband Charlie of Rochester, New York; sister Betty Hoadley and her husband Denny of Cary, North Carolina; and sister Karen Joss and her husband Eric of Williamsburg, Virginia, as well as many nieces and nephews. Fred will be remembered for his many loves: his family and friends, playing golf, talking politics, building computers, eating Jolly Ranchers, and enjoying good scotch. Memorial Services will be on Monday, March  26, 2018 from 3:00 pm in the Brooks Family Chapel of the North Dallas Funeral Home, 2710 Valley View Lane, Farmers Branch, Texas 75234. Please leave the family condolences and share memories on this website.