J. Hugh Roff Jr.

J. Hugh Roff, Jr. passed away in Houston on Wednesday, the 23rd of October 2019. He is survived by his devoted wife of 62 years, Ann Green Roff, and a clan of 30 family members, each of whom he loved and enjoyed counting as one of his “hostages to fortune.”

Hugh was born the 27th of October 1931, to Louise Wewerka and J. Hugh Roff, Sr. in Wewoka, Oklahoma.

The valedictorian of the Wewoka High School class of 1949, Hugh went on to earn the Freshman Award at the University of Oklahoma in 1950, election to Phi Beta Kappa in 1952, and election to the Pe-et Society in 1953. In 1954, Hugh received his B.A. from O.U., where he was a member of the fraternity of Beta Theta Pi, and the following year, Hugh earned his L.L.B. from O.U. Law School, where he was elected to the Order of the Coif. Upon graduation, Hugh put his ROTC training to use and served as a 1st Lieutenant in the Army’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps.

He was stationed at Fort McClellan, Anniston, Alabama, where he met the love of his life, Annie Lee Green. Within the first few weeks of their courtship, Hugh suggested to Ann “Why don’t we agree that we won’t see anyone else for the time being?”, and the time being continued for over 60 years. Ann and Hugh were married in Alabama in 1956 and were blessed the next year with their first son, John H. Roff, III. Over the next 15 years, many more blessings ensued, with the birth of a second son, Charles L. Roff in 1961; a third son, Andrew W. Roff in 1963; and twin daughters, Elizabeth A. Roff and Jennifer L. Roff, in 1971. With the gradual addition of three daughters-in-law, two sons-in-law, 14 grandchildren, two grandchildren-in-law and four great grandchildren, it became quite a challenge to fit the entire Roff brood into one Christmas card photo, but Hugh was never happier than when his whole family was gathered together.

Though a lawyer by training, Hugh would find his greatest success as a businessman. In 1958, Hugh left the military and moved his young family to Oklahoma City to clerk for the Honorable A.P. Murrah of the U.S. Court of Appeals, 10th Circuit. At the end of the clerkship, Hugh joined Southwestern Bell as an attorney in their St. Louis office, before being promoted in 1964 to the New York office of AT&T. In 1969, he became Vice President & General Attorney of AT&T Long Lines Department, and in 1973 Hugh was named General Attorney for AT&T. The next year, Hugh was recruited to lead a natural gas transmission company being spun off by Pennzoil, so Hugh and Ann, with five children in tow, moved to Houston.

From 1974 to 1985, Hugh was President, Chairman of the Board and Chief Executive Officer of United Energy Resources, Inc. and its principal subsidiary, United Gas Pipeline Company. Under Hugh’s leadership, UER's revenues grew from $600 million to $3.9 billion, its cash flow grew from $85 million to $360 million, and shareholders were rewarded with 30 times return on their money. During this period, Hugh served in multiple leadership positions in the industry, including Chairman of the Interstate Natural Gas Association of America, Chairman of the Institute of Gas Technology, Director of the American Gas Association and Director of the Gas Research Institute, Advisory Director of the Center for Strategic & International Studies in Washington, D.C., Former Chairman of Houston Roundtable, Director of the Houston Chamber of Commerce, First Chairman and member of the Board of Directors of Central Houston, Inc., and President and member of the Board of Directors of the Coronado Club. Hugh also served on the Board of Directors of Bank of the Southwest, Texas Commerce Bank, Chase Bank of Texas, Raymond International, and Tidewater, Inc.

UER was sold to MidCon Corporation for $1.1 billion in 1985. In 1986, Hugh led the purchase of two UER businesses from MidCon. PetroUnited Terminals Inc. was a bulk liquid storage company with terminals on the Houston Ship Channel and the Mississippi River. PetroUnited was sold in 1998 to Fimilac, S.A. Alabama Methane Company was an early coal bed methane company with operations in the Black Warrior Basin. Alabama Methane was sold in 1989 to Alagasco.

In 1999, Hugh formed an oil and gas exploration and production company with sons Charles and Andrew. Roff Oil & Gas, Ltd. owns and operates interests in the Permian Basin.

Throughout his life, Hugh was a committed Christian who lived his life in a manner that reflected his religious convictions. A member of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, he was a loving husband to Ann, a devoted father to his children, and a caring patriarch and role model for the younger generations.

Although known to many for his outstanding intellect, his greatest strength was his unceasing generosity. One of Ann’s favorite stories about Hugh occurred on a bitterly cold night in 2011 when she and Hugh were driving through downtown Houston. Hugh was quiet and deep in thought, until he questioned “On a night like this, there are many shelters for homeless men, but where can the women go?” A man of action, Hugh made a phone call to the Salvation Army the next morning, and a year later the Ann and Hugh Roff Safe Harbor for Women, a 20-bed emergency shelter, was opened.

Hugh gave his time, talents and financial support in many ways that touched countless lives in Houston, in his dearly loved home state of Oklahoma, and throughout the world. He was the past Chairman of the Salvation Army of Greater Houston Advisory Board, served as a member of the Board of Trustees of Baylor College of Medicine for the past 25 years, and sat on the Boards of Visitors of The Salvation Army USA Southern Territory, the Jesse H. Jones Graduate School of Administration at Rice University, and of the University of Oklahoma Law School and College of Arts & Sciences. He was a member of the Board of Trustees for the Inasmuch Foundation and the Ethics and Excellence in Journalism Foundation, both in Oklahoma City, and he served as past President, Chairman, and member of the Board of Directors of the Houston Symphony. He was also recently recognized as a recipient of the Albert Nelson Marquis Lifetime Achievement Award by The Marquis Who’s Who Publications Board for his achieved career longevity and demonstrating unwavering excellence in his chosen fields.

Hugh will be remembered with love and respect by many, most especially his loving wife, Ann; his five children and five children-in-law, John and Mary Katharine Roff, Charles and Nathalie Roff, Andrew and Debbie Roff, Elizabeth Roff and Dave Steiner, Jennifer Roff and Brad Schiff; his 14 grandchildren, John Hugh, Thomas, Emily, Stephanie, Annie, William, Rebecca, Elizabeth Lee, Amanda, Tom, Adelaide, Josie, Annabel, and Zelda; his two grandchildren-in-law, Julia and Haley; and his four great grandchildren, Anne Michelle, Marshall Joseph, Lillian Grace, and Grace Marie. Hugh is preceded in death by his parents and by his sister, Rosalie Hughey of Plano, Texas.

Friends are cordially invited to gather with the family and share remembrances of Mr. Roff during a reception to be held from two o’clock until four o’clock in the afternoon on Sunday, the 27th of October, in the grand foyer of Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive in Houston.

A memorial service is to be conducted at two o’clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 28th of October, in the sanctuary of St. Paul’s United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street in Houston. Immediately following, all are invited to greet the family during a reception to be held in the Fondren Hall.

In lieu of customary remembrances, the family requests memorial contributions be directed to The Salvation Army of Greater Houston, 1500 Austin Street, Houston, Texas 77002.