David Jackson Biard's Obituary
BIARD, DAVID JACKSON (JACK) Born June 28, 1919 in Sherman, TX and passed away June 8, 2009 in Plano, TX. He is preceded in death by his daughter, Diana Cox. Jack is survived by his wife, Minnie Biard; daughter, Judy Spalding and husband, J.B.; sons, Bob Biard and friend, Rick, David Biard and wife, Tina, John Biard and wife, Pam, and husband of his deceased daughter Diana, Royall Cox; brother, Captain Forrest Biard; grandchildren, Trey Spalding and wife, Karen, Nichole Spalding-Watson and husband Bill, and Arden Biard; and great-grandchildren Lauren Spalding, Katherine Spalding ,and Mia Spalding-Watson. Service will be 10:30 AM, Saturday, June 13, 2009 at Restland Wildwood Chapel. ********************************************************************************************** Jack’s family honors him with the following tribute: Jack Biard was born in Sherman, Texas, on June 28, 1919, the third of five children of Robert Jackson Biard and Forest Lynn Elkin Biard. After spending his first years in Bonham and Midland, Texas, in 1923 the family moved to Dallas where Jack’s father worked as a bookkeeper for Burrus Mills. Jack attended Stephen J. Hay Elementary and North Dallas High School. While at North Dallas, he and cousin Richard Abernathy won first place in the state UIL debating competition. Jack graduated as the Salutatorian of his high school class. In 1936, Jack attended the University of Texas at Austin. One night he and a friend climbed to the top of the unfinished U.T. Tower and rang the carillon with a two-by-four. Never a follower of popular culture, he emceed a program at Hogg Auditorium where he introduced the top star of the day, Edgar Bergen (and ventriloquist puppet Charlie McCarthy), as “Mr. Bergman”. Jack received his bachelors degree in business from U.T. and was assistant city manager of the City of Dallas. His studies at U.T. Law School began in 1940 and were interrupted by World War II. In the war, Jack served in the Army Air Corps, achieving the rank of Second Lieutenant. In 1943, Jack married Mineola (Minnie) Wamble, whom he met in Dallas on a blind date through his sister Dorothy. The Army lost his records shortly after he entered the service, and he was assigned the rank of private and worked as an airplane mechanic. While he was stationed in England, Jack volunteered for bookkeeping assignments. When his superiors discovered his ability to work with numbers, arrangements were made for Jack to take the required tests to become an officer, and he attended officers executive management classes at Harvard University before the close of the war. In 1945, Jack and Minnie had their first child, Judy, while stationed in Albuquerque, N.M. After the war, Jack finished his studies at U.T. Law School, during which time he and Minnie and two daughters lived in a trailer park in South Austin. After obtaining his LLB from U.T. in 1948, Jack went to work for Atlantic Richfield (later known as ARCO) as a petroleum landman. Over 36 years with ARCO, Jack worked in Shreveport, Tyler, Oklahoma City, Roswell, Midland, and Dallas. He was a member of the American Association of Petroleum Landmen and served as an officer on many state and regional oil and gas associations during his career, including President of the East Texas Landmen’s Association (1960) and Chairman of the New Mexico Petroleum Industries Committee (1968-1970). Jack was a mathematician at heart, and he loved to exercise his brain. He enjoyed mathematics, astronomy, trees, plants, puzzles, tying knots, and making lists. His lists included books read, books to be read, words and names he and Minnie had difficulty remembering, adjectives ending in “id” (of which he identified 56), and projects to be done. He typically read about two hundred books a year for most of his adult life. After retirement, Jack became licensed to fly ultralight aircraft. He had an active mind up until the time of his death. Jack is survived by his wife, Minnie, of Plano, Texas; daughter Judy Spalding and husband J.B. of Denton, Texas; son David and wife Tina of Oklahoma City; son John and wife Pamela of Erie, Colorado; son Bob and friend Rick Chafey of Austin, and husband of his deceased daughter Diana, Royall Cox of San Antonio; his brother Captain Forrest R. Biard (U.S.N. – Ret.) of Dallas; grandchildren Nichole Spalding-Watson and husband Bill of Pilot Point, Texas; Trey Spalding and wife Karen of Denton, and Arden Biard of Oklahoma City; great-grandchildren Lauren and Katherine Spalding and Mia Spalding-Watson; and many nieces and nephews. Jack was preceded in death by his parents and his sisters Dorothy Allen, Margaret Sansom, and Mattie Elkin Trigg; and his daughter Diana Ruth Cox.
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