Eric Gill's Obituary
Eric Gill, age 93, passed away on Saturday, January 13, 2018 in Plano, TX. Visitation will be Sunday, January 21st, 3:00 – 5:00 pm. Funeral service will be at 3:00 pm on Monday, January 22nd at the Wildwood Chapel, Restland Memorial Park in Dallas, TX followed by a reception at The Conservatory in Plano, TX. Eric Gill was born in Maidstone, Kent, England on August 15, 1924. In 1942, at the height of World War II, he volunteered for the Royal Air Force (RAF). After basic training, he was sent to America for pilot training and was stationed at Terrell, Texas. He earned his “wings”, then returned to England and remained in the RAF to complete his five-year tour of duty. In 1947, he returned to Dallas as a permanent resident. He attended Southern Methodist University while employed with Atlantic Refining Company (ARCO today). In 1949, after a two-year courtship, he married Jo Ella Kennedy, the love of his life, and they celebrated their 68th anniversary in 2017. In 1952, he was recruited by Core Laboratories, a petroleum engineering company, from which he retired in 1985. During his long tenure with Core Lab, Eric traveled to many countries including Libya, Algeria, Venezuela, Bulgaria, Holland, Japan, and Singapore. Eric was a member of Society of Petroleum Engineers, the International Cultural & Social Circle, the Churchill Society, and was a founding member of the #1BFTS flight museum in Terrell, Texas. He was a voracious reader, especially WWII history. He was a gardener, both vegetables and beautiful flowers, an avid tennis player, which he played regularly until age 80, a consummate gentleman, and devoted family man. Eric is survived by his wife, Jo, two sons, Ashley and wife Linda, and Greg and fiancé Marcia Scruggs, 3 grandchildren and 7 great grandchildren. He is also survived by his brother and sister-in-law, John and Dawn Gill in Peaslake, Surrey, England, brothers-in-law James W. Kennedy (Bud) and B. T. Myatt, and numerous nieces and nephews. Eric will be sorely missed.If desired, memorials may be made to the #1BFTS museum in Terrell, TX or The Salvation Army.
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