SAMUEL JOSEPH BYINGTON III
1948-2019
Samuel Joseph Byington
III passed away on Monday, November 25, 2019, surrounded by his wife and sisters. He was born November 4, 1948, in Houston, Texas, and graduated from Austin High School, in Houston in 1966. As a young boy Sam loved to play baseball, was a member of the Cub Scouts, and enjoyed going on camping trips with his family.
Sam attended the University of Texas at Austin where he graduated with Highest Honors in 1970 and was elected to the Petroleum Engineering scholastic fraternity of Pi Epsilon Tau.
After graduation, Sam worked for Pennzoil as a drilling and workover engineer in south Texas and offshore Louisiana before establishing a lengthy career with Amoco. He had increasingly responsible positions throughout the 1970s in Amoco’s District and Divisional offices in Texas focusing on south and east Texas oil and gas operations, and drilling and production in Michigan and Pennsylvania.
In the 1980s, Sam was Engineering Manager for Amoco’s Denver Region, after which he and Cheryl moved to Amoco’s Chicago headquarters and he was the Worldwide Manager of Production Planning and Operations for Amoco Production Company, followed by Worldwide Manager of Natural Gas Liquids for Amoco Corporation. Sam furthered his education by earning a Master of Business Administration degree from The University of Chicago in 1990. In 1991 they returned to Houston and he was the Director of New Business Development with Amoco Production Company focusing on worldwide liquefied natural gas development.
Sam has been a registered Texas State Professional Engineer since 1984 and has been recognized as a member of the Legion of Honor for more than fifty years continuous membership in the Society of Petroleum Engineers.
Sam continued to broaden his education by earning his Juris Doctorate in Law in 1998 from the South Texas College of Law where he was elected to the International Legal Honors Society of Phi Delta Phi. He then became a member of the Texas Bar and founded the Law Office of Samuel J. Byington in Houston where he practiced business and consumer law, as well as oil and gas law.
Sam and his wife Cheryl loved to travel and have visited over 60 countries, many times with golf clubs in tow. Some of their favorite destinations were Italy, Prague, Thailand, Australia, New Zealand, Germany, Austria, Hong Kong, Indonesia, England, Scotland and Ireland.
Sam and Cheryl adopted a black Labrador rescue dog named Simba, whom they claim rescued them! Simba became Sam’s side-kick and they were inseparable.
Sam was a son, brother, uncle, husband, father, grandfather and friend. Preceding Sam in death were his father Samuel J. Byington, Jr., his mother Blossom A. Byington and his sister
Sue Ward.
He is survived by his loving wife of 32 years, Cheryl Byington; daughters Karen Hughes and Alison Pratka; grandsons Michael Gober, Jonathan Fontenot, Presley Hughes, Alek Rives, Fletcher Rives, and Layton Pratka; sisters Julie Smith and Laurie Taska, brother Barry Byington, Aunt Linda Jones and numerous nieces, nephews and cousins.
Sam is a member of St. Michael Catholic Church in Houston, as well as a member of St. Mary’s Catholic Church in League City, Texas.
Memorial services will be held at Forest Park Lawndale in the Grand Chapel with visitation on Monday, December 2, 2019, from 5-8pm/ rosary from 6-7pm; and chapel services on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at 10am. A reception at Forest Park Funeral Home will follow the interment.
Pallbearers are Barry Byington, Al Taska, Taylor Taska, Reid Cashdollar, Russell Cashdollar, Jason Gracey and Justice Gracey.
In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be directed to Citizens for Animal Protection (CAPS) or the American Heart Association (AHA) Houston.