Roll Call Tribute

Lyn was the first-born son of Lois McClanahan Davis and Lynn Grady Stanley. Because his parents divorced when Lyn was two years old, he lived much of his young life with his maternal grandparents on their farm. Growing up in a small town in East Texas afforded Lyn the chance to develop a love for the outdoors as he explored the many miles of country fields and woods around Trinity.

Upon turning eighteen in 1943, and with World War II in progress, Lyn joined the Army Reserve where he was called to active duty and sent to Fort Sill for artillery training after which he set sail for Italy; arriving in Naples in the winter of 1944-45, he served in artillery and later in the Quartermaster Corps. Providentially, he was spared the terrible frontline experiences of many wartime soldiers. Lyn found the discipline, camaraderie and travel of the Army to be very educational.

After the war, Lyn returned to Texas and using the new “GI Bill” set about realizing his dream of becoming an engineer. He enrolled at Texas A&M College to study Petroleum Engineering, where he graduated near the top of his class, in the spring of 1950.

Lyn lived a very full 98 years, 64 of which were spent married to the love of his life, Barbara, marked by a deep devotion to each other and love for their family. Lyn and Barbara met in Manhattan, N.Y. while working at Aramco Oil Company and were married on May 6th, 1956, in Mt. Vernon, N.Y. Their first three years were spent in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia where Lyn worked for Aramco. They came back to the states with one baby in tow and added three more over the next five years. Lyn was a father who was deeply involved with his children's education and extracurricular activities. He coached and supported all their baseball, soccer, swimming, and scouting activities. He was also an avid photographer, gardener, and taught adult Sunday school at his church.

Beginning his life with very little during the great depression and later serving in the U.S. Army during World War II, Lyn developed an understanding of what it meant to work hard and be a provider for his family. Lyn’s life and passions included avid learning and knowledge sharing.  He was well respected in the Oil and Gas industry, and also became a distinguished author- all while never seeking to be the center of attention.  He had a sense of adventure, loved to learn about life and all of its complexities, and maintained a sense of humor.  As a man of deep faith in Jesus, and a mentor to his family, Lyn endeavored to model Gospel behavior to all he met.

Lyn is preceded in death by his parents, brother Phillip Hopkins, and his wife Barbara. He is survived by his brother Davis Hopkins, four children and their spouses Tom (Mindy), Tim (Julie), Lois (Jon) and James (Maria), ten grandchildren and eight great grandchildren.

Lyn’s family wishes to express their deepest appreciation to the many friends and family for their outpouring of love and kindness.