JACK WARREN SMALLING
1919-2018
Jack Warren Smalling, 98, died January 15, 2018. He was born November 12, 1919 in Texas City to Garnet Ruth Kutcher Smalling and Claude William Smalling. In 1930 the family moved to Baytown, where Jack lived until 2010.
Jack graduated from Robert E. Lee High School and Lee College in Baytown. In 1941, he graduated with honors from the University of Texas in Austin with a degree in chemical engineering. That same year he received a commission as ensign in the US Naval Reserve. He volunteered for submarine duty and rose to the rank of lieutenant commander.
As one of an elite crew of submarine officers, Jack served in the Pacific and witnessed firsthand some of the major events of the war. He and his crew conducted the photoreconnaissance of Iwo Jima before the invasion in 1945, and detected and tracked the battleship Yamato, whose sinking was significant to the war effort. These and other stories he detailed in his World War II memoir, Beneath the Seas.
While on leave in 1944, Jack married his childhood sweetheart, Leona Marie Hickerson. They had three children, many adventures, and their share of challenges and heartache in the 54 years they shared until her death in 1998.
Jack’s career spanned almost 50 years with Exxon, where he became known internationally as an expert in refinery management, safe operations, and emergency preparedness. In 1964 he began a three-year stint in Augusta, Sicily as assistant manager of the Esso refinery. For Jack’s family of five, this period was life changing, instilling in each one of them an insatiable hunger for travel and adventure, especially to Italy. The family albums are filled with photos Jack took documenting experiences of a lifetime: riding camels in the shadow of the pyramids, watching the lava spew from Mt. Etna, experiencing Greek plays in a two-thousand year-old amphitheater, and many more.
Jack also managed the company’s refinery in Bataan, Philippines and participated in more than 50 audits of plant operations around the world. All told, Jack’s travels for work and pleasure led him to 22 countries spanning every continent except Antarctica.
In the 1980s, Jack co-invented an ultrasonic instrumentation system that continues to have a multi-billion dollar impact in the oil industry. The design, which earned four patents, was inspired by submarine sonar as well as his son Richard’s work as a cardiologist utilizing ultrasonic measurements of cardiac function.
However, the awards and honors Jack earned were not the measure of his life. More important to him were his three children, their spouses, and seven grandchildren. He was there for their big moments, traveling well into his 90s to attend their recitals, sports events, and weddings. He was quick to say “yes” to any invitation and when the action slowed, he’d ask, “What’s the next activity?”
Jack was known for his engineer’s attention to detail, quick wit, and big heart for his family and friends. In his active years, he enjoyed fishing, woodworking, bridge, and getting together with his Baytown Margarita Group. He liked the Texas Longhorns, shrimp in any form, and a glass so full of chardonnay that it earned the title of the “Smalling pour.”
Jack was preceded in death by his wife, Marie, and their son, Bill. He is survived by his son Richard (Sharon) Smalling of Houston, daughter Jeanne (Mike) Archer of Denver, daughter-in-law Susan Smalling (Bill’s wife), and seven grandchildren: Andy Archer (Margit), Geoff Smalling (Alissa), Julie Archer, Elizabeth Shulak (Mike), Jon Smalling, Sam Smalling, and Stephanie Smalling; and six great-grandchildren: Rowan and Landyn Smalling, Alex and Trey Archer, and Ava and Roman Martinez; and eight nieces and nephews.
A memorial service will be held Friday March 23 at 9:30 at St. Mark’s Methodist Church in Baytown followed by interment with full military honors at Houston National Cemetery at 1:00.