Fred Rankin Grote

Fred Rankin Grote passed away peacefully on October 31, 2022, with his loving wife of 61 years, Gwen, by his side. Fred was a devoted husband, father, grandfather, great- grandfather, friend, employee and a very loyal Texas A&M Aggie. The son of Arthur and Molly Johnson Grote, Fred was born September 20, 1931, in Port Arthur, Texas, the youngest of two boys. He and his brother Arthur had many adventures exploring with their beloved dog, Bo. Bo was the first of many dogs for Fred and he had a lifelong love of animals. Fred graduated from Thomas Jefferson High School in Port Arthur and went on to Texas A&M to study. Fred graduated with honors in Petroleum Engineering in 1953 and was a member of Tau Beta Pi engineering honor society. He remained at Texas A&M an additional year to earn his Masters in Geology, and then went on to proudly serve his country for two years as a member of the 1st Armed Division-16th armored engineer battalion in the Army.

In 1956, Fred joined Shell Oil Company in New Orleans, LA, and it was there that he met the love of his life, Gwendolyn Paquet. They were married on January 7, 1961, and moved to Richardson, TX, where they were blessed with two children, Gwen in 1962 and Fred in 1963. Fred took a position with DeGolyer & MacNaughton, an international petroleum consulting firm, and his time at D&M was extremely rewarding, providing him many challenging assignments, international travel and the opportunity for lifelong friendships. After 36 meaningful years with D&M, Fred retired in December 1996, as Chairman and CEO.

Several years before his retirement, Fred and Gwen purchased some land in Clifton, Texas, and “The GG Ranch” was born! The Double G Ranch became the setting for many wonderful gatherings for family and friends of all ages. With Fred, aka- “Gandy”, at the helm, there was never a dull moment on their land. Fred was honored to host the annual Labor Day dove hunt and men of all ages gathered for the weekend to hunt, visit, eat and share stories and memories of their lives. These memories are precious to all who had the opportunity to be a part of this great tradition that Fred started.

The entire Grote Family spent many wonderful weekends in Clifton. Fred would provide the entertainment ,whether it was shooting BB guns at a target, checking on the cows and donkeys, or fishing in the tanks, complete with poles, tackle boxes and fresh slimy worms from town. Another cherished activity was hopping into the back of the pickup truck and driving through the land to see the cows and feed them cubes. On those drives wildlife abounded and we would see deer, turkeys, cows, baby calves and many other amazing displays of nature. The ranch was a beautiful place to relax and enjoy family time. Other fun memories include the years that Fred and Gwen shared a family lake house with two other family friends on Lake Texoma. Fred would take Gwen and Fred and many of their friends skiing, and they would stay on the lake for hours.

Fred also savored his time in Baltimore visiting his daughter, Gwen, and her family and exploring that area of the country with them. He was a lifelong loyal Aggie and enjoyed going to Aggie games with his wife Gwen, and family and friends. A kind and giving man, he worked tirelessly to ensure that his family had everything they needed. He faced every challenge in life with strength, courage and kindness. Early in life he learned the value of hard work and he instilled that same work ethic in his children and his grandchildren, and he was very proud of all of them. Fred loved his family and friends and was always there to listen and never spoke unkindly about anyone. He was a man of strong faith and he taught his children and grandchildren the importance of family, hard work and doing what is right.

Fred is survived by his wife of 61 years, Gwendolyn Paquet Grote, his daughter, Gwen Farrugia and husband Cory of Baltimore, MD, son Fred Grote, Jr. and wife Liz of Dallas, Texas, granddaughters Molly Farrugia of Brooklyn, New York, Erin Farrugia of Houston, Texas, Ashley Young and husband Jason of Waco, Texas, and Annie Grote of Dallas, Texas, grandson Fred Grote, III “Rankin” and his fiancée Maggie Potente of Dallas, Texas, and great-grandsons Ben, Luke and Charlie Young of Waco, Texas.

The Memorial Service will be held on Tuesday, November 8th, at 10:00 am at Highland Park United Methodist Church in the main sanctuary. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to HPUMC or the charity of your choice.