Posted by Terry Powers on December 20, 2022:

EMIL A. NAKFOOR, of Houston died peacefully surrounded by his family. He was born on the 13th of April 1926, to Eugenie Nofal Nakfoor and Abraham M. Nakfoor, in Lansing, Michigan. He spent his childhood in Lansing and graduated From Eastern High School. He graduated from the United States Military Academy at West Point, New York in 1949, with his Bachelor of Science in engineering. He selected the Army Air Force upon graduation and took his basic flight training in San Antonio at Randolph Air Force Base. He served as a pilot in the United States Air Force from 1949 to 1955. During this period he was an instructor pilot for two years and served for three years at Wheelus Field, North Africa as the liaison officer to King Idriss of Libya. He resigned his commission as a Captain in 1955, and moved to Houston and entered the insurance business. He attended night school at the University of Houston and graduated with his Masters of Business Administration in Economics and management in 1960. In 1966, he co-founded Olympia Geophysical Company which grew quickly to over eight hundred employees. The company was sold to Dresser Industries in 1970. He then started and oil and gas operation and a business consulting company. He continued his consulting business until his death. He served on many public boards during this period including Olympic Geophysical Company, Black Magic and Argo Petroleum. He served as chairman of the Strake Jesuit Foundation for six years, and ex-chairman of the Strake Jesuit College Preparatory School, where he served as a director for over 20 years, a past member of the St. Joseph Hospital Foundation, the Bishops Advisory Board for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston, and advisory Director of the Albert and Ethel Herzstein Charitable Foundation and a director of St. Thomas University. He was also the first City Director of Houston for the St. Jude Children's Hospital of Memphis, Tennessee. He was one of the founders of the West Point Society of Houston and served as its president for two years. He was thought of by his family and friends as a loving, thoughtful, charitable and courageous man. He lived his life with dignity and integrity and he always showed compassion for others and many looked to him for guidance and counseling. He will be deeply missed by all who knew him. He was preceded in death by his parents, Eugenie Nofal Nakfoor and Abraham M. Nakfoor, and his sister, Bernadette. He is survived by his beloved wife of 59 years, Florence Jamail Nakfoor; his daughters, Teresa Ann Johnston and her husband Aaron Johnston, Karen Marie Nakfoor, Ann Marie Snodgrass and her husband Kevin Snodgrass; and his sons, Bruce Emil Nakfoor and his wife Wendy Nakfoor and James Michael Nakfoor and his wife Alix Nakfoor. He truly adored his eleven grandchildren, granddaughters Christin Snodgrass, Megan Snodgrass and Ellie Nakfoor and grandsons Tim and Chris Johnston, Kevin and John Snodgrass and James, Will, Grey and Garrett Nakfoor. He is also survived his sister, Nancy Marshall; and his two brothers, Bruce and Patrick Nakfoor. A memorial mass is to be conducted at half-past one o'clock in the afternoon on Monday, the 15th of March, at St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road in Houston, where the Rev. Daniel Lahart, S.J., will serve as celebrant. Honored to serve as casket bearers during the services are his grandsons.P rior to the service, the family will have gathered for a private interment and graveside service at Forest Park Westheimer Cemetery. In lieu of customary remembrances, memorial contributions in Mr. Nakfoor's memory may be directed to, Strake Jesuit Foundation, 8900 Bellaire Boulevard, Houston, TX, 77036; or to St. Michael Catholic Church, 1801 Sage Road, Houston, TX, 77056. Published in Houston Chronicle on March 12, 2010

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