PIERRE MARCEL SCHLUMBERGER
1942-2020
June 29, 1942 – October 1, 2020 PierreMarcel Schlumberger passed away on October 1, 2020, in New Braunfels, Texas after a courageous battle with Parkinson’s Disease. He passed away peacefully with the grace and dignity that was the hallmark of his life.
“Pete” as he was known to family and friends was born in Houston, Texas on June 29, 1942, the first member of his family to be born in the United States. He graduated from The Kinkaid School in 1959, Yale University, College of Timothy Dwight in 1963 and The SouthernMethodist University School of Law in 1966. He was predeceased by his parents Pierre Schlumberger and Claire Schwob d’Hericourt Schlumberger, sister Catherine Schlumberger and half-brother Paul-Albert Schlumberger.
Pete is survived by his college sweetheart, best friend and wife LesleyMcCary Schlumberger, to whom he was married for 58 years. He is also survived by his daughter Leslie Anne Schlumberger Garcia and her husband, Luis Alberto Garcia and their children Luis Schlumberger Garcia and Olivia Leslie Garcia; and by his daughter Claire Schlumberger Henry, and her husband, Edward James Henry and their children Alexandra Schlumberger Henry, CarolinaMarie Henry, and WilliamMarcel Henry. Pete was proud of his daughters, his sons-in-law and all of his grandchildren, who lovingly knew him as “Grandpère”. Pete especially enjoyed attending his daughters sporting events at The Kinkaid School when they were younger, and as many sporting events and recitals as possible for his grandchildren. He was devoted to his family.
He is also survived by his sisters AnneMarie Schlumberger and Christiane Claire Schlumberger and her husband Tony Allina M.D.; brother Jacques Pierre Schlumberger and his wife Barbara; half-sister Victoire Schlumberger Tardif; brother-in-law Stephen P. McCary and his wife Deanna; as well as his nieces and nephews, C. LeRoyMelcher, Pierre S. Melcher, Marc C. Melcher, Thomas Claburn, Caroline Hollingsworth M.D., Elizabeth Phillips, Gabriel Schlumberger, Sabrina Scott, Roxane Hume, Kevin McCary and KirstinMcCary Parker.
Pete began his law practice at Pritchard, Platter and Allen in Houston, Texas in 1966. Later, he decided to work as a sole practitioner in order to spend more time with family and to focus on estate and non-profit work. He was a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation.
He had a strong desire to serve the community where he lived. In Houston, Pete gladly served on numerous boards including Schlumberger, Ltd, The Schlumberger Foundation, The Anchorage Foundation, Inc. (President), The Rothko Chapel (Corporate Secretary), the Contemporary ArtsMuseum, the Rice Design Alliance, The Institute of Religion,
Texas Historical Foundation, the Winedale Council, and the Foundation deMusée Schlumberger.
After his retirement Pete and Lesley moved to New Braunfels, Texas where Pete continued to serve the community. There he served on the following boards: SophienburgMuseum and Archives (President), New Braunfels HistoricMuseums Association, Inc. (President), Comal County Historical Commission (Treasurer), Comal County Healthcare Foundation, Inc., New Braunfels Heritage Commission, and the Advisory Board of the Brauntex Performing Arts Theatre Association, Inc., during its important restoration.
Pete was extremely instrumental in the preservation and revitalization of the historic Courtlandt Place neighborhood in Houston, Texas. Through the combination of his keen interest in historic preservation, and his extensive research, legal expertise, and persistence, as well as the help and support of Courtlandt neighbors, Courtlandt Place was accepted to the National Register of Historic Places in 1979. Pete considered this achievement one of his greatest legacies to the city where he was born, as Courtlandt Place is today one of Houston’s greatest architectural treasures.
Pete’s social and cultural affiliations included the Houston Country Club, Allegro, Houston Club, Petroleum Club of Houston, Confrérie des Chevaliers du Tastevin, Galveston Artillery Club, the Krewe of the Knights ofMomus in Galveston where he served as
President and in 1997 as King of GalvestonMardi Gras, The Argyle and Club Giraud in San Antonio, Lake Breeze Ski Lodge inMcQueeney, the SophienburgMuseum and Archives in New Braunfels, the New Braunfels Conservation Society, the Center for the Advancement and Study of Early Texas Art known as CASETA, and the Texas Art Collectors Organization known as TACO.
For many years, Pete was an avid tennis player, and while living in New Braunfels, he was a devoted fan of the San Antonio Spurs. As a hobby, he maintained an extensive collection of vintage black and white movies from the 1930’s to the 1950’s. He is remembered by his daughters and their many friends as well as his nieces and nephews for his late-night showings of classic movies that define modern cinema in their Courtlandt Place home as well as at their farm at Round Top, Texas. Pete especially enjoyed studying Texas history, Texas maps, and the works of early Texas artists. His keen interest in Texana and Texas History may have been inherited from his French ancestor Francois Pierre Guizot, a prolific French historian who served as the French Foreign Minister and later as the French PrimeMinister under King Louis Philippe during the late 1830’s and 1840’s. France was the first country to recognize Texas as an independent republic when King Louis Philippe signed a treaty of Amity, Navigation, and Commerce on October 12, 1839.
Pete was known as an intelligent, quiet person with a sharp wit and an unfailingly gracious manner. He was rarely seen without his own camera in hand, especially at family gatherings and events.
Although Lesley was Pete’s primary caregiver during his illness, she and his family would like to acknowledge with deep gratitude the extraordinary, excellent long-term care given to Pete by Dr. Mark L. Thornton as well as the important care of Dr. Ted Trusevich. The family would also like to express appreciation for the excellent care given by Babett Chapman RNCM along with Ernest Castro CNA both with Encompass Hospice, and to Chandler Gray and Cheryl Hada for their administrative assistance. Finally, the family would like to acknowledge with sincere appreciation the dedicated care given to Pete by his caregivers during the last months of his life: Irene Rivera, ElizabethMartinez, SilviaMoreno, YolandaMartinez, Rachel Kensing, Berni Mikkelsen Jr., Robin Herrera, Rebekah Kensing, Rosa Villarreal, Bonnie Ellsworth, and Jo Hanson.
Regrettably, there will not be a formal memorial service at this time because of the difficulties presented by Covid-19.
In lieu of customary remembrances and for those desiring, the family requests with gratitude that memorial contributions be directed to: SophienburgMuseum and Archives
401W. Coll Street
New Braunfels,
Texas 78130 830-629-1572
New Braunfels Conservation Society 1300 Church Hill Drive New Braunfels,
Texas 78130 830-629-2943 Rothko Chapel Rothko Chapel Office Development Dept. 1409 Sul Ross Street Houston, Texas 77006 713-660-1407
What you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. -- Pericles Arrangements with PORTER LORING MORTUARY 1101MCCULLOUGH AVENUE
SAN ANTONIO, TX 78212 – (210) 227- 8221