Mickey Vaughn Elliott

Mickey Vaughn Elliott was born on August 16, 1926 to Von Bergen & Minnie Bickley Elliott in Hemphill, Texas and passed away peacefully at his home in Austin on Wednesday, the 19th day of August, 2020, three days following his 94th birthday.

Always a proud American, and even prouder Texan, Mickey lived an honorable life of achievement and service to others, and knew that he was blessed beyond measure. Those who met him would quickly sense his abundant optimism, vision, kindness, generosity, faith and most of all, love for family and friends. He always saw the very best in people and found his greatest joy in helping others. He was honest in all that he did and set the standard for all of his family of what it means to live your faith by your words and actions every single day. Mickey will be deeply missed, but his family rejoices for the long, wonderful life that he lived, and the amazing joyful eternal life that he is now living.

Truly a member of the “Greatest Generation”, Mickey began working early as a young boy in his family’s tomato packing and shipping shed – and started the first of his many lifetime entrepreneurial endeavors at age 5 selling cold soda pop to the workers in the hot tomato shed, and the farmers who would bring in their tomatoes to sell.

Just a few years later, around age 7, Mickey and his only slightly order aunt Helen became the milk man and milk lady in Hemphill, delivering fresh milk from his parents’ cows milked earlier that morning before going to school each day. Neither Helen’s or Mickey’s legs were long enough to reach the gas pedal of his father’s Ford Model T, so they had to improvise and use a two by four piece of lumber to reach the gas pedal to drive the car, and get the job done. As a young boy Mickey also loved to ride his pony named Dolly.

Mickey grew up in the Hemphill United Methodist Church, the Fellowship Hall and Youth Building of which are dedicated to his parents. The Methodist Church has always been the foundation stone of his life, and a great comfort in good times and not so good times.

Mickey attended elementary school and high school in Hemphill, graduating early at age 16. He then started college at the University of Texas and was a proud member of the Longhorn Marching Band. However, World War II had begun, and as soon as he was old enough to do so, Mickey enlisted in the U.S. Navy V-12 officers training program at the University of Texas. The Navy subsequently transferred Mickey to Princeton University and then to Columbia University for further naval officer training. For a young man who had never previously traveled outside the State of Texas, getting to see and experience life in New Jersey and New York City was quite an adventure that Mickey thoroughly enjoyed. Upon completion of his officer training, Mickey began training as a Navy deep sea diver at Pier 16 in New York City.

Following V-J Day, when the war was finally over, Mickey was reassigned by the Navy to go to the Caribbean and to South American and captain Navy tanker ships operating in those waters back to harbor in New York City and New Orleans. As a young naval officer visiting New Orleans, he first experienced and quickly developed a love of delicious fresh Gulf seafood, fine French and Cajun cuisine, and New Orleans jazz music.

Upon discharge from the Navy, Mickey returned to the University of Texas to finish his college education, graduating from the U.T. Business School in 1949. During those years, Mickey became a member of the Pi Kappa Alpha Fraternity were he made many close friendships, many of which he maintained throughout the remainder of his life. As a senior, he was elected Vice President of the U.T. student body, was honored as a U.T. Outstanding Student, and was very proud to have been selected to be a member of the Silver Spurs service organization which took great care of the iconic Longhorn mascot, Bevo.

Upon graduation from the University of Texas, Mickey moved to Beaumont, Texas and joined childhood friends from deep East Texas in starting an industrial supply company, which they named the Gulf Supply Company. After World War II was over, America needed a lot of new chemical plants and petroleum refineries – and thankfully they all needed a lot of pipe and valves.

In 1952, while frequently visiting Augusta, Georgia to sell pipe and other industrial supplies for the construction of a huge new nuclear power plant just across the border in South Carolina, Mickey regularly attended the downtown Augusta Methodist Church and had the good fortune to meet a beautiful young Georgian named Doris Paul. A year later they were married and moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana to open a new office there for Gulf Supply, and to start a family. Amanda, Mike and Mark soon followed. In the years that followed, the family moved frequently as Gulf Supply expanded rapidly, and especially enjoyed living in New Orleans for several years, and getting back to Texas living in Beaumont and then Houston. While in Beaumont, the Elliott family attended Trinity United Methodist Church, and in Houston enjoyed being active members of Chappelwood United Methodist Church.

Through grit, determination and incredible tenacity and work ethic, over the next thirty years the team of East Texas childhood friends built Gulf Supply (subsequently renamed Gulf Consolidated Services) into the industry leader in the industrial supply business.

The shared sense of mission, common goals and teamwork that Mickey so enjoyed over the years with Gulf Supply and then Gulf Consolidated resulted in many new, deep, lifelong friendships which meant the world to him. He was always so proud of the fine company that he helped to start and to lead, but it was the fine people and the great friendships there that were always what mattered the most to him. Again, Mickey and his partners were blessed to sell Gulf Consolidated Services to the Meade Paper Company just prior to the oil market crash and subsequent harsh economic recession of the 1980’s.

Following the sale of Gulf Consolidates Services, Mickey and Doris moved to Austin to a lovely high-rise condominium that overlooked the U.T. Tower and South Mall, a beautiful view that Mickey enjoyed daily throughout the remainder of his life.

However, his retirement years were not easy. For nine years Mickey was devoted to taking loving care of his wife Doris as she struggled mightily with lung cancer. Through it all though, Mickey remained relentlessly positive and grateful to God for all that he and Doris had been blessed with. And he definitely was not through yet. He read the Wall Street Journal front to back everyday, and was deeply interested in current events, especially in business and political happenings. He always so looked forward to his monthly luncheons at the Tarry House in Austin with a very distinguished group of fellow U.S. military veterans who were all such fine gentlemen and great Americans. They were not always able to solve all of the problems in our world that were discussed, but it sure was not from lack of interest, knowledge and love of our great country.

Mickey also always looked forward to sitting in the second row of the sanctuary (an Elliott family tradition going back to his Hemphill childhood) at Tarrytown Methodist Church on Sunday mornings, following Sunday School with his Faith Class. All of the members of the Faith Class were so thoughtful and caring, and Mickey was always honored to be a part of such a fine group of folks.

Mickey was preceded in death by his parents, his loving wife of almost 60 years Doris, and his three sisters, Wynell, Martha and Arnette whom he dearly loved. He leaves behind his daughter Amanda, son Mike, son Mark and his wonderful wife Donna, and their three daughters, Nicole, Cecily and Gabrielle that he loved so much.

With grateful hearts, the Elliott family wishes to thank “the Great Ladies” Rae Brown, Linda McKinley and Terasa Felix for their devoted, loving care of our Dad over many years – and also Bob Mitchell, Dad’s personal trainer and great friend over the years who did so much to keep Dad vertical and moving, and able to enjoy an active life almost up to the very end.

We also wish to express our heartfelt thanks to all of the great team at Hospice Austin who so kindly and compassionately helped our Dad in his final days.

The immediate family, and our dearest friend Virginia Duke (whom we have officially adopted as a family member of Clan Elliott), and our Pastors from Tarrytown United Methodist Church will gather for a private internment at Austin Memorial Park Cemetery on Wednesday, August 26, 2020. Honorary pallbearers, all of whom preceded Mickey in the journey to eternal life in Heaven, include his lifetime, dearest of friends Rudy Williams, Paul Beauchamp, Bill Aufricht, Bob Duke, Harmon Parrot and Seldon Graham.

Due to the COVID, a larger celebration of Mickey’s life at Tarrytown United Methodist Church in Austin will have to wait until it is again safe for us all to gather again. When that time comes, hopefully soon, there will be much to celebrate, many traditional Methodist hymns to sing, and of course lots of great southern cooking from the Methodist ladies.

Though our hearts are deeply saddened by the loss of our Dad, we are comforted in knowing that he is now reunited in Heaven with family and so many great friends, that he is now pain free and will enjoy a profoundly joyful eternal life in the greatest of all places. Ad we take great solace and comfort in the testimony of the Apostle Paul (2 Timothy 4:6-8):

“For I am already being poured out as a drink offering, and the time of my departure has come. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award me on that day; and not only to me, but also to all who have longed for his appearing.”

We thank God for the gift of our Dad. And the great life that he was blessed to live.

Our family requests that in lieu of flowers, any remembrances or memorial contributions in honor of our Dad be directed to: Hospice Austin, 4107 Spicewood Springs Road, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78759, or to the J.R. Huffman Public Library, 375 Sabine Street, Hemphill, Texas 75948 – or any good cause of your choice that makes the world a better place.