November 15, 1935 - December 12, 2018
Although his Tennessee ancestors came through Missouri to settle in Delta County, Texas in 1837, Bill L. Bledsoe was born in 1935 in a lumber camp in Hugo, Oklahoma. He was raised near the banks of the Muddy Boggy River at Lane, Atoka County, Oklahoma. He attended three high schools: Atoka High School, East Delta High School in Charleston, Texas, graduating from the old Forest Avenue High School in Dallas.
He graduated from North Texas University and later did graduate work at Southern Methodist University. After college he entered flight training with the U.S. Navy in Pensacola, Florida and later active duty with Patrol Squadron Two, an anti-submarine hunter squadron based in Whidbey Isalnd, Washington, with deployments to Iwakuni, Japan, Kodiak and Adak, Alaska. Bledsoe remained in the Naval Reserves as the LT Commander and was a Naval Intelligence Officer at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba, during the Soviet Missile Crisis.
Bledsoe started his career in the oil and gas industry in 1960 with Texaco Inc. as an oil scout and later a Certified Petroleum Landman in Dallas, Shreveport, and New Orleans. In 1965, Bledsoe was employed by Placid Oil Company upon the discovery of the Black Lake Field in Nachitoches Parish Louisiana. In 1970 he became the Special Representative of the legendary oilman, H.L. Hunt. Upon the death of Mr. H.L. Hunt, Bledsoe became the International Negotiator for Nelson Bunker Hunt with duties in Libya, Iran, England, Scotland, New Zealand, Australia, and Canada, including dealings with the family of the Shah of Iran and the Prime Minister of New Zealand, where Bledsoe was Chairman of the Sea Hunt Group, a deep water drilling combine offshore South Island, New Zealand.
It was upon Bledsoe's recommendation that Hunt Energy Corporation was formed in 1970 and also Pursue Energy Corporation, where he was President, directing discovery of the Thomasville Field, a major gas and sulphur producer in Norther Mississippi.
Bledsoe formed his own exploration company in 1985: Bledsoe Energy Company, and later Bledsoe Petro Corporation, Bledsoe Oil & Gas LLC, with oil and gas operations in Texas, Oklahoma, New Mexico, California, West Virginia, Louisiana and Mississippi. His specialty became the acquisition of oil and gas fields from major oil companie, reowrking the old fields and enhancing some with new seismic and geological data, resulting in the drilling of new wells, including theextension of the Espersom Dome Field, Liberty County, Texas; Cheneyboro Field, Navarro and Freestone Counties, Texas; Buffalo Field, Leon County, Texas; and San Juan Basin of New Mexico. Bledsoe purchased the oil and gas properties of the Clint W. Murchison Estate and the movie star Greer Garson's companies: Global Gas Company, Lightning Petroleum Corporation and Tiffany Energy Company.
Bledsoe was President of the Dallas Association of Petroelum Landmen, a member of the American Association of Professional Landmen, Dallas Petroleum Club, the Wildcatters Club, the Dallas Club and the Dallas Athletic Club.
He was a member of the Prestoncrest Church of Christ in Dallas, for over 40 years. He was on the Advisory Board of the Eastern European Mission, which printed and distributed over 10 million bibles in the native languages of Russia, Ukraine, and several other form Communist Countries. He traveled to Russia eight times, initially when it was under the Communist boot; he assisted in the founding of the Rostov-on-Don Church of Christ and the Volgograd Church in Russia. As a layman, he also helped establish churches in Guatemala at Antigua, Chimaltenango and Solala.
Bledsoe also helped estalish the Church of Christ in Arcelia, Mexico, where he considered his greatest achievement was the founding of the Refuio de Perlita, an orphanage in Arcelia, Mexico, operated by the Buckner Foundation. Bledsoe's wife, Glenda Bledsoe, was raised in Buckner Orphans Home, Dallas.
He is survived by his wonderful wife of 61 years, Gigi; his son, Bill L. Bledsoe, Jr. of Ennis, Texas; his daughter, Michelle Bledsoe of Dallas and his granddaughter Jessica Cortez of Dallas. As well as his extended family Tracy McCutchin and Kandi Duplantis and all he lovingly mentored.
Services will be held at Prestoncrest Church of Christ at 2pm on Sunday, December 16th followed by a coffee & donut recepetion in the fellowship room of the church. 6022 Preston Crest Lane, Dallas, TX 75230.
In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Buckner International or Prestoncrest Church of Christ Guatemala Mission.
COMPARTA UN OBITUARIO
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