Roger Wylie

Roger Wylie, age 91, passed away Friday June 6, 2014. He was born in Henderson, Texas on May 15, 1923, to William E. and Monnie Meyer Wylie. Roger excelled at academics and sciences from an early age. He graduated from Henderson High School in 1940 and went on to attend Kilgore Junior College and Rice University, then known as Institute.

Roger graduated from rice in 1944 with a degree in Chemical Engineering and immediately went to work for Humble Oil Company’s Chemical Division in Baytown, Texas where his work contributed to the intense American war effort. Roger designed three major plants in the Baytown Chemical complex and made significant contributions to the design of four other major plants. He was the first chairman of the North American Process Design Committee for Exxon Chemicals and in 1976 received the Senior Engineer of the Year Award from the Baytown chapter of the Texas society of Professional Engineers. He was recognized by the Board of Directors of the Exxon Corporation for his outstanding services to the company. In 2002, Roger was pleased to be named as a Distinguished Alumni of Henderson High School.

Roger especially enjoyed boating and living on the water. He owned the local Chrysler Boat store in Baytown for several years. He eventually built a uniquely designed concrete home on Scott Bay in Baytown, combining his love of water and all things concrete.

Always a wide-ranging thinker and inventor, Roger accumulated eleven United States Patents over the years, covering inventions in production of propylene and paraxylene, hybrid power generation and power conservation as well as a range of chemical processes.

Following his official retirement from Exxon in 1975, Roger formed Wylie Engineering and Construction, Inc. and began doing consulting work for Exxon in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and Baytown. He continued his engineering work for many years, and never stopped thinking of new inventions.

Roger moved with his wife, Charlsie Williams Wylie, to Marble Falls, Texas in 2002. In “retirement”, he continued to constantly engineer and build houses, dams, and other structures while working on plans for new and different inventions. Roger was happiest when working hard on a difficult problem. He appreciated Thomas Edison’s words, “We often miss opportunity because it’s dressed in overalls and looks like work.”

He was preceded in death by his infant brothers, William E Jr. and Charles Meyer Wylie, brothers Earl and Alfred Wylie, by his son, Pat Wylie, and by his wife, Charlsie Williams Wylie. Roger is survived by his daughter, Beth Wylie Schultz of Oriental, North Carolina and her husband Fred; sister Mary McGee and her husband, Glynn, of Henderson, Texas; brother Joe Wylie and his wife , Dianne, of Henderson, sisters-in-law Joyce Wylie of Houston, and Gladys Wylie of Henderson; stepsons Charles, John, and James Crouchet of Marble Falls, and stepdaughter Janet French of Clear Lake, Texas. Roger also leaves thirteen nieces and nephews who will remember him fondly.

A memorial service will be held at 10 o’clock on Saturday, June 28, 2014 at Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home, 1805 Highway 281, Marble Falls, Texas with Reverend Mary Jane Lamonte officiating. Burial services will follow at Richland Cemetery.

For those desiring, contributions may be directed to American Alzheimer’s Association, 225 N. Michigan Ave.,Fl. 17,

Chicago, IL 60601-7633

Arrangements made by Clements-Wilcox Funeral Home Marble Falls, TX.

Condolences may be offered at www.clementswilcoxfuneralhome.com