HURRICANE VOYAGE—1957 49 extremely seasick and felt like I was going to die but I did not get sick during this hurricane, my maiden voyage. We were told we had waves as much as 60 feet or more as we struggled against that force of nature. The little ship would ride high on one side of a wave and then ski down the other side of the wave and literally go under water like a submarine. This happened again and again. Since I was one of the few that was not uncontrollably sick, I was ordered below deck to the living quarters to help the others survive. I had to take a mop and a bucket and clean up all the ‘throw up’ from the sick sailors. There were 20-year career sailors that had never been sick and I was trying to lift them off the floor and strap them in their bunks. I often wondered why I did not get sick and I suspect it was because I was too scared!! Afterthought—Hurricane Too! I forgot to mention how ironic it was that another hurricane was also involved. I had never had a drink besides a beer or two until Norman and I got to New Orleans. One of the most popular drinks in New Orleans was a “Hurricane.” How appropriate that this drink happened to have the same name as what was soon to happen on this trip. The Hurricane comes in a large tall glass, or something much larger than a glass, and it is a rainbow of colors as about ten different kinds of liquor settle at different levels of the glass. I am sure it was named the Hurricane because that is exactly what it does to one’s mind! I think that may be why I still do not like alcohol.
Part II My Family
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 53 A Blind Date, a Fast Boat, a Lifetime Partner Coming together is a beginning, keeping together is progress, working together is success! —Henry Ford I met Yvonne when I was 20 years old, a junior at TCU, taking 21 hours per semester and working nearly 40 hours per week. About all I had time for was studying and working, and I was extremely passionate about both. However, I never failed to sneak a few hours on Sunday to go water skiing. The only treasures I owned were my car, my incredible little boat that I built when I was 16 and I was about to lasso the treasure of a lifetime— beautiful 17-year-old Yvonne— because I had a boat! The Boat I actually discovered the boat opportunity when I saw this totally wrecked small wooden boat upside down on a trash heap at a hardware store a few miles from my house while I was on the way to school. I must have been about 15 years old because I did not yet have my own car and had to walk to school. At age 16, I left school every day at 2 p.m. to go work downtown. I went inside to see the owner and inquire about his plans for it. He had none. After a little negotiation, he gave me the boat, provided I would
54 AN AMAZING LIFE purchase a product from him that had just hit the market—fiberglass. It would be the perfect way to restore the boat. My Dad borrowed a trailer and we took the boat home. He had his doubts about the restoration but thought it would be a good challenge for me. I was already in love with the boat because it had oak ribs throughout, covered in plywood, and they were in good shape. So, for about three months, I took the boat apart piece by piece and rebuilt it, reassembling it and putting a new bottom on it. I also built a short front deck, designed for a beautiful girl to sit on while I was cruising the lake. We could stow gear under the deck, I put padded seats behind that and then installed a center console with a steering wheel. All the wood on top was painted white, while the hull was painted jet black, about eight coats, using my Dad’s paint shop where he repainted cars on weekends that he had rebuilt. I had applied four layers of fiberglass prior to painting and when I finished it, in my opinion, it was the best-looking boat in Fort Worth. It was 12-foot long, and in addition to the front deck it also had a center console with a steering wheel located in the middle of the boat. But it was not just a good-looking boat… it was also fast, the fastest boat in Fort Worth. By the time I met Yvonne, I had the biggest outboard motor made—a 25-horse-power Johnson. Today outboard motors are as large as 350 hp—which would sink a 12-foot boat. My maiden voyage was so comical. I had never seen a boat, except for the aluminum fishing boats I was renting at the marinas. But my new rig was far classier—an eye-stopper that attracted attention of everyone at the beach. It was awesome. The comical part of the story is, on the test run, at about 30 miles an hour when I tried to turn the boat it just went sideways scooting across the water and hitting even small waves. It almost capsized. I never dreamed that a boat needed a keel. Today of course I “Google” anything I want to rebuild (like a watch or a clock) and there are YouTube videos and instructions for everything. As a matter of fact, as many know, you can find instructions on the Internet today for absolutely anything you own that has a problem. It does not matter how old or how complicated the product is. I use it all the time. I had the perfect plan. I installed on the outer edge of both sides a 1-inch strip of oak about three feet long and then I went back to the lake for maiden voyage #2. To my surprise now, not only did I have a ski boat, I had a trick boat. When I turned the corner, the boat would turn on a dime so rapidly that in a tight circle it was almost scary. That was a massive advantage. I
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 55 could throw a skier in a circle at about 50 miles an hour. Everyone had to try it over and over. Now I was the hero on Eagle Mountain Lake in Fort Worth! Water Skiing I was 16 years old when I originally discovered water skiing. A friend of mine, who worked at Leonard Department Store, called me to tell me that they just started selling water skis and I asked what in the world was a water ski. Being adventurous (and sneaky), we sort of borrowed some skis and a motor (unbeknownst to Leonard’s) and I rented an aluminum fishing boat. We had no idea what we were doing. But I got in the water, he took off fast (even though there was about 20 feet of slack in the rope) and I popped out of the water like a duck on my first try. I skied for hours. It was exhilarating and I was hooked! So, I bought a pair of skis then and we took our girlfriends skiing. From that time on, we skied every Sunday— my only day off. The only sport I was ever good at was skiing (and later in life, shooting— few could outshoot me). When I grew up, there was no such thing as little league or any of the other things our kids do today. But I was not any good at the sports that were available like batting a ball, catching a football, or playing tennis. But I could ski. Ultimately, I started kicking off a ski and skiing on one ski. Then I decided what I really needed to do was to invent one ski with two feet on it. So, my next invention was a slalom ski. Today we call it slalom skiing. But I had never heard of a slalom back in those days. My Daddy brought me a piece of ¾-inch oak that was five inches wide and five feet long that they used on trailers where he worked at Hobbs Trailers. I slit the end of the board for about a foot and then soaked the end for at least a month. Every few days, I would bend it another fraction of an inch and clamp it until I finally had the curve I wanted and it looked like a ski. Then I glued the split, added two rubber straps for feet and off I went with one ski. I had put about eight coats of lacquer paint on it and it was as slick as ice. There, I had my own slalom! Life was good! I should have patented it! Now I was really a hero of all the other skiing kids. I thought I could use it on the ski jumping ramp but instead I think I almost killed myself on my 100th try, so I gave that idea up. Someone just a little smarter and with much less tenacity would have quit, at least on the second try. I had some amazing crashes.
56 AN AMAZING LIFE There is an old saying, “ Necessity is the mother of invention.” My curiosity made me an inventor and I have been all my life. I think I can solve most problems I have never seen. —WEJ Love at First Sight One day in gym class, I was telling Robert Cunningham, a classmate I had befriended, about my skiing activities. He then told me he had a friend, a beautiful blonde, who loved to waterski. She was 17 years old and was attending Arlington Heights High School. I was sure she was way out of my league because that high school represented the affluent part of Fort Worth and I lived on the other side of the tracks. Her Dad was an engineer, working nights with General Dynamics building airplanes. She was a daddy’s girl and he took her skiing every weekend with his boat. COMMENTS BY YVONNE JOHNSON My father took me every weekend water skiing. I became an avid, tireless skier. We skied on Benbrook Lake near our house in Fort Worth. I would ski for hours, rarely falling, though he tried and tried to create turns to ensure I disengaged! Eventually he would want to stop driving but not me! Water skiing was a passion, my forte. So, Robert set up a double date with his girlfriend, Yvonne and me. It took me 15 minutes to fall in LOVE. We went to a movie to see Gina Lollabridgia in “Rose Tattoo.” The movie theater was packed, and we had to sit on the front row. I hated the front row, but it did not matter that night because all I could do was look at Yvonne. I was in love. It was difficult dating Yvonne because she lived all the way across town. I soon found that juggling all my responsibilities and activities—going to TCU, working, dating, and being in love—was complicated. COMMENTS BY YVONNE JOHNSON—FIRST DATE My first impression was he was very nice and good looking. It helped a lot that when he first picked me up at my house my mother shared my thoughts and really liked him from the get-go, especially with his gentlemanly manner and very personable nature. After attending
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 57 the movie, we went to a drive-in place called Jack’s, a hangout place where young people gather to socialize and enjoy a hamburger. After that first date we started seeing each other weekly. Though we were both very busy, me with school and him with his work, we managed to spend time together when we could. He took me to all my high school senior activities—dances, junior-senior prom, and even the graduation ceremony. Many fond weekends were spent on the lake water skiing together. Both Walter and I are very competitive and tried to outshine each other with our water-skiing abilities. I will have to say that his boat was pretty cool and fast, very fast. Those days skiing with Walter made me further realize that he was a good catch! Breaking Curfew At that time, Yvonne’s mother was mean, tough, and way too strict on Yvonne. Yvonne had a 10 p.m. curfew in her senior year and one night after some school event, I got Yvonne home just a little too late. The next day was Sunday and I was working on my boat, all sweaty and grimy, when the phone rang. Yvonne was crying, saying she could not see me for a month because I got her home late and she was grounded. I was furious. I realized then that her mother did not appreciate me. Here I was in the middle of college working my butt off, spending 40 hours a week at Typewriter Supply, trying to make something of myself. Obviously, there was a lot of future in a son-in-law like me. I jumped in my car and drove to Yvonne’s. I then walked in the front door unannounced and told Yvonne to get her suitcase because we were leaving. She said, “Where are we going?” I said, “We are going to get married.” She still complains that I have never proposed! Obviously, her mother was frantic. So, the three of us sat down and came to an agreement. The agreement was that I could date Yvonne as much The beauty and the Boat No. 1. Note in the picture Walter’s invention of the slalom water ski.
58 AN AMAZING LIFE as I wanted and the curfew was moved from 10 o’clock to midnight. And we were all going to be friends. At the time, I still had not met Yvonne’s father, because he worked nights. But from that day on, her mother was one of my best friends and supporters. This continued until her death at age 86. COMMENTS BY YVONNE JOHNSON I was planning to go to college and had submitted my paperwork to attend Southwest Texas State College in San Marcos. That was my plan and I was a bit in shock when he told my mother his plan. Actually, Walter never asked me to marry him! He is a dictator and he just told me we were getting married. Since I loved him, I went along with his plan. Sure glad I did! At some point that summer, he gave me a ring. I tried to show it to my mother, but she refused to look at it, still in denial that we would be getting married. About 90 days after meeting the 17-year-old Yvonne, her mother and my mother joined me at city hall where they had to sign a marriage certificate for the two of us. That was the law back then if the prospective couples were underage. I was 20 years old and Yvonne was 17. We had just finished a long ninety-day courtship. Our marriage on October 11, 1956, was the beginning of our Cinderella Story. Our honeymoon consisted of a weekend driving to Lake Texoma, where we spent the night in a cheap motel. We had to be back at work and school Monday morning. COMMENTS BY YVONNE JOHNSON: We rented a garage apartment, fully furnished. I was working 9 to 5 at American Insurance in Fort Worth as a file clerk and also taking classes at TCU at night. At night, we both studied. Most of our meals consisted of broiled steak, baked potatoes, and a salad. Cooking was not my forte because I had no experience. Besides, there was no Yvonne and Walter
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 59 time, or money, to cook an extravagant meal; we needed easy and quick so we could get to our studies. Being impulsive can be a virtue, especially when you are confident of your own good judgment. —WEJ Opportunities are lost through procrastination. —WEJ The Advent of the Calculator When we married, I was still selling typewriters and Victor calculators, a tabletop gadget that had just been invented. It was an incredible product and was selling like hot cakes. It was a 10-key machine, manual of course, and weighed about 40 pounds. It was big. In the middle of the case were 10 keys and you would put your numbers in and pull a handle down. All the keys would come up and stamp the paper. The maximum the machine would add was $999,999. No one needed a machine that could print out a million anyway! I went through college using a slide-rule and an arithmometer because there was no adding machine. A slide rule was all we needed anyway. Now it is hard to imagine Yvonne’s father, an engineer, building airplanes with all his calculations being done on a slide-rule and an arithmometer. The Early Years During those early years of our marriage, we had plenty of money but we did not have a whole lot of time. I was making about $800 a month at the time selling typewriters and calculators, and that was a lot of money (about the equivalent of $7,000 today) for that period of time. Certainly, enough money for me to finish college, for Yvonne to enroll in TCU and for us to have a nice garage apartment just down the street from her parents’ home. Our little apartment was also convenient to TCU and to downtown Fort Worth where I was working. But literally, all of our time was spent working or studying, except for part of the day on Sundays. That is when we went water-skiing on my boat! I graduated in January 1958—finishing four years of college in three years—and my work career started. The next 60 years was to become an
60 AN AMAZING LIFE exciting venture with lots of drama, and a few disappointments. We adopted three beautiful children and we never looked back, only forward. What a beautiful, adventurous life! COMMENTS BY YVONNE—WORKING WITH WALTER When Walter left Allied Bank, he started putting together his plan to join Northwest Crossing Bank. I was a stay-at-home Mom, enjoying taking care of the children and playing a lot of tennis. His job offer was shallow, saying “I need your help. I’m going to be out of the office a lot calling on customers and I need you to help set up new accounts.” Since our children were older—Ted was a high school senior and Mike and Michelle had already flown the coop—it was good timing for me, and nothing was holding me back. Might I also mention that Walter loved the salary he paid me—zero! Free labor is good labor! I knew many of his customers since we had entertained many of them and their families and he knew they would be comfortable with me in the mix. My duties included doing whatever he wanted me to do, wearing many hats, working long nights with him at the office—marketing, setting up board meetings, everything and anything. The lobby was always full of new customers and many older customers who I knew well so it was easy for me to help them set up new accounts. Finally, Johnny Johnson, the board chairman (no relation) told Walter that he needed to start paying me. Walter, I would guess, still did not want to, but finally agreed! The problem became how to pay me? It was decided to pay me hourly. The problem was I was working 18 hours a day and that would have been an extreme amount bi-monthly. Then, what about as a contractor? But still the hours were too extensive. Finally, after years of trying to figure it out, they brought me on as an Executive Assistant. A couple of years ago, after all these years with a low pay wage, Human Resources wanted to give me a raise. I was so excited when I shared the news, “Walter, I’m getting a raise!” His response was, “I didn’t approve that! Who is doing that?” Walter soon found out that the bank was not abiding by normal employee pay grades and they really did not have a choice… or Walter!
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 61 Walter is always very focused and all about business. No water cooler chit-chat for him. So, I did a lot of office reconnaissance for him, keeping him up to speed with all the talk around office. We will have been married 64 years in 2020. And we are still on our honeymoon! Yvonne has been my greatest asset for 64 years. For 64 years, Yvonne has been a partner in my success, a major contributor to Amegy’s beginning success. For the past 30 years our offices have been 15 feet apart. Our workday never ends even though we leave the office. —WEJ There is lots more to this story… but that will be picked up later in the book. The Whistler • I awake every day around 5:30 am, sometimes earlier. When I have a new project or a challenge, I very often wake up at 2 or 3 am thinking about an issue and will send out emails to my associates. My mind is so alert from the get-go and I am excited to get after the day… so much to do, so much on my mind to accomplish. From my first step, I am whistling and humming songs. Often this frustrates Yvonne because I just cannot stop. I drive to work whistling, in the office whistling and humming songs. Yvonne wishes I would have taken singing lessons in my youth to put these muted songs to better use. I am sure if I had singing lessons and became an accomplished singer, she would then wish that I would whistle instead!
62 AN AMAZING LIFE Through the Years… The beautiful Yvonne With Yvonne, heading to Texas Business Hall of Fame ceremony where Walter was being honored, 2005.
A BLIND DATE, A FAST BOAT, A LIFETIME PARTNER 63 In Hawaii at Four Seasons, 2019 At 13,000 feet in Colorado Walter getting a lecture in Yvonne’s Café in the Amegy Tower In Ireland at costume party with Young President’s Organization, 2016
MY FAMILY LIFE 65 My Family Life Success in life is not simply measured by the rewards of business. It also should be measured by successful relationships with one’s family. —WEJ I believe it is not simply the amount of time one spends with family that counts but rather the quality of time spent. —WEJ It is quite evident everywhere you look. We have sacrificed quality time for our obsession with technology: smartphones, iPads, tablets, and even TV episodes on Netflix. —WEJ I grew up without the technology people take for granted today. I still remember my rich great uncle who purchased a TV. Wow! I was blown away at about age 12. The box was as big as today’s refrigerators and the screen was about six inches square. My parents had small groups over to our house on a weekly basis to play cards or dominos, or simply to sit in the yard or the porch, oftentimes eating homemade ice cream. Most often times my Dad and I took turns cranking the handle to make the ice cream in the freezer container. I have played thousands of games of croquet, or horseshoes, or washer-tossing with my family. Unfortunately, I do not see anyone doing these things anymore. Many people, I am afraid, are losing the ability to spend quality time with each other. For most of my work career, I worked—at least 80 hours a week— studying loan proposals until midnight once I got home. But weekends were 100% focused on Yvonne and our children.
66 AN AMAZING LIFE Quality Time with My Family I n 1970, we built a home in Northampton, which was then the last subdivision within 20 miles of what would soon become the Woodlands. We had many miles of woods to roam. Originally, the five of us—Yvonne and I plus Mike, Michelle, and Ted—had horses and enjoyed trail riding and our Saturday night rodeo. It is a wonder I did not get killed doing the stunts I tried on horses, mostly unsuccessfully. Finally, Mike wanted the three of us “boys” to get rid of the horses—thankfully—and buy some off-road motorcycles. That proved to be a lot more fun for me. We could spend all day Saturday riding the creeks for miles. This was my idea of a balanced life: work hard and play hard with my family. Around this time, Michelle got into showing horses, and Yvonne learned to hitch and pull the horse trailer behind the truck. In effect, she became Michelle’s uber driver and hay hauler. Perhaps the most fun experience I had was when Michelle and I floated the Green River from Wyoming through Colorado and finished up in Utah. We had a YPO father-child trip of teenagers; it was a blast and a great bonding experience with Michelle. We had the best time of our lives when the kids were pre-teen and teens—Michelle with her love of horses and the boys and I with our dirt bikes. For at least 20 years, until our kids left home, we also camped—first in tents, then in campers, later in motor homes. Finally, we upgraded to a home on Lake Travis in Austin. For ten years we had the home out there. Often Yvonne and the kids would stay there all summer while I would commute back and forth to Houston. Boating, skiing, and fishing were the kid’s favorite activities. We also enjoyed many weekends on the 360 acres we had, as a partner, on Lake Livingston. We were (still are) the ultimate outdoor nature family! Finally, however, we decided the traffic was too tough going to Austin and purchased the 100-year old home on Galveston Bay in 1982, which has been our weekend paradise ever since. This has become the family retreat, a gathering place we have enjoyed together for nearly 40 years. Origin Story I have had a lot of lucky days in my life. At the top of the list, however, would have to be my meeting Yvonne Booth on a blind date. Absolutely, no doubt, this was destiny! Together it has been an amazing life. There is no telling how many
MY FAMILY LIFE 67 times I have asked myself, “How is it possible for a 20-year-old guy and a 17-year-old gal to have a 90-day courtship that somehow resulted in 64 years of perfect marriage?” I do not have an answer. However, I comfort myself with the thought that we still have a lot of good years left. I cannot remember a day in my life in which I have not reminded myself what she means to me. She has been an incredible partner and a real asset to me since the founding of Amegy Bank. We started it together, and today she is still in the office as my Executive Assistant. Considering my continued involvement with the bank and managing our personal business, our workload requires much more than 40 hours a week, and we enjoy every day. Technically, I have five companies today. I am incredibly busy with tenants, taxes, prospects, etc. Yvonne is still my 24/7 assistant and I would drown without her. I should mention here, I still remain a little active in the bank and still develop business. My rail contractor is a huge engineering company and they moved to Amegy because of me. They keep about $50 million in deposits. I have many others that will come. For about five really fun years, we were married with no children, spending a lot of time on the water as well as camping and doing outdoor activities. Then we adopted our three children from placement agencies in Fort Worth. All three kids have been such a blessing, each in a different way. The youngest child is Ted. He is the one we see the most and is a very interesting young man. He is an interesting study in personality, character, kindness, and charitable ambition. I have met very few people in my life who were born with the innate traits of what I consider a natural-born salesman even though that is not the life he has chosen. For one, he is the best conversationalist I have ever met. Ted has an amazingly curious mind, and he loves to meet strangers, anyone. Put him in a room full of strangers for two hours, and before he leaves, he will know most of them. He will remember their names, know about their families, their business, their interest in sports, hunting, fishing, or whatever. Ted, I can also say, knows just about everything there is to know about sports—the players, and the teams whether it is baseball, basketball, or football. More than anything, however, he asks questions. Ever since he was a young child, he was always asking questions. This, of course, is a characteristic of someone with a curious mind. Ted will talk to anybody whether the person works for the garbage company or is President of Exxon. And people remember Ted and like him because he is curious about people, about the world. I think I have learned a lot from Ted subconsciously. He
68 AN AMAZING LIFE has taught me how to deal with people and how to pass that on to the young people who I mentor. Curious people ask questions naturally but the less curious can learn this trait. —WEJ From the time Ted finished school up until he was about 30, he bounced from job to job. One day, I told Randy Taber about Ted, and he wanted to meet him. Ted wound up going to work for Randy at Star of Hope Women and Children Shelter, which has been my greatest charity commitment for 35 years. As of today, he has been there 16 years. He is extremely passionate about his job. He loves Star of Hope, his bosses, and the people he works with, especially Hank, the CEO. Ted loves what Star of Hope does for people and the community. In 16 years, Ted has never said anything except positive comments about Star of Hope and his associates there. Never one single negative word in 16 years is truly amazing. He knows his company makes a difference in tens of thousands of peoples’ lives every year and wants to be a part of it. He is extremely committed to his responsibilities, and I have no doubt Ted will retire one day with more than a thirty-year career at Star of Hope. Ted also has two wonderful children—eleven-year-old Audrey and seven-year-old Neil. We get to see them regularly because they love coming to the bay house. You must be mentally strong to deal with a problem you cannot solve—especially when it is a family member. —WEJ Walter and Ted catching the big ones offshore.
MY FAMILY LIFE 69 My oldest son was Michael. Michael struggled in school and willingly joined the military upon graduation from high school. That did not work well for him because we learned that he was an alcoholic. Mike was really a good person, a loving person, a family person, and everyone liked him. His problem was he could not hold a job. After the military, several of my friends gave him jobs because they liked him, but he failed consistently because of his drinking problems. I am sure I spent over a million dollars sending Mike to facilities that should have been able to cure his problem, but nothing was successful. During those years, Mike married a lady who had three young kids—Christy, David, and Benjamin. Further to our surprise, Mike’s wife turned out to be an alcoholic. We also learned that the kids’ natural father was an alcoholic. Realizing that the kids’ father and mother were alcoholics, you would think the children would not have a chance. But not so. This is an encouraging story and maybe an example of how God works. All Walter and his three children horse riding in Big Bend National Park. Walter with grandchildren Alexandra and Miles
70 AN AMAZING LIFE three of them are fine responsible young adults. They all have good jobs and are diligent. Both boys are extremely mechanically inclined, and I am pretty sure the boys would walk through fire for me. We are very close. Nothing is so stressful and frustrating than to have a significant problem that should have a solution— yet nothing I do works. —WEJ We were always close to Michael and loved him a lot. It was a major problem to me that I had a challenge I could not solve. Mike ended up dying at the young age of 48. I cannot tell you how distressful this was but we dealt with it with a positive attitude. I explained to the kids that I was very happy Mike died because he is in a better place. On Earth, Mike was living in Hell. Michael had too many demons in life to cope with. Looking back, my only one real frustration in my entire life was Mike—my inability to solve his problem or to help him drove me nuts. It still does. Hopefully, he is in Heaven because he had his hell on earth. I do not know much about heaven. I have never met anyone who has been there! But I know plenty about hell—on earth. —WEJ We all talk about Mike often because we shared so many wonderful experiences. To this day, his picture is on the table in the living room at the Bay house. We never want to forget him. What is really interesting is how human nature works—we never remember the bad times when we talk about Mike, only the good times, the fun we had together. Also, when I think of Mike, I think about the blessings and treasures he left us, namely, Christy, David and Benjamin. So, today, Yvonne and I have two children, Michelle and Ted. We also have seven grandkids and six great grandkids including David, Ben and Christi. An exceptional grandkid is Michelle’s daughter, Alexandria, who has deservingly earned our support for many years. She got a medical degree from Texas Tech and then a nursing degree from UT Nursing School. She is a serious, hard-working young lady. I admire her tenacity in building her career. I admire that she wants to help the sick. My mother, sister,
MY FAMILY LIFE 71 and daughter, Michelle, all have suffered with poor health their entire lives— my mother and sister with rheumatoid arthritis from the time they were young, and Michelle with an illness without diagnosis. My sister, Betty, has one natural child and two adoptive children. They are all successful in their own right, but their biggest achiever is their son, Scott Turnage. I have named Scott Turnage trustee of my estate because I appreciate his honest y, his integrity, and his tenacity. Almost everything we have will be going to charity when Yvonne and I die. In our will, we named about six charities that will get income maybe forever from trusts that I set up. The bulk of our estate through trust will wind up providing scholarships to students at the University of Houston, perhaps, as many as 200 a year. The trust will provide full scholarships, including dormitory, food plan, books, and all tuition. To qualify, recipients must be from families with incomes not far from poverty level. The kids will be screened and must be deserving. I cannot think of a better thing to do than to make education available to bright kids who have no other way to get an education. A life of great success most often begins with a good education! —WEJ The icing on the cake is making money so you can be charitable to the less fortunate. —WEJ Ted, Michelle, Walter and Yvonne Michelle, Alexandra and Bennett
72 AN AMAZING LIFE Left to right: Neil, Ted, Audrey, Walter, Alexandra, Michelle, Miles, and Bennett Baby-sitting grandson Neil, South Padre Island Walter and Audrey sledding in Durango Yvonne and Walter with Neil and Audrey in the Bahamas
MY FAMILY LIFE 73 With grandchildren at the Bay house Grandson David Wolfgang with his wife Trina and their three sons. This wonderful family was left to us by Michael after his premature departure. With Sarah Stephens (my adopted granddaughter), Anna and Steve Stephens on Steve’s farm. Walter with Audrey and Neil at Steve Stephens’ farm. With Audrey and Neil
74 AN AMAZING LIFE Walter showing off to grandchildren on zip-line upside down, 2016
A BALANCED LIFE 75 A Balanced Life You will never feel truly satisfied by work until you are satisfied by life. —Heather Schuck Balance, peace, and joy are the fruit of a successful life. It starts with recognizing your talents and finding ways to serve others by using them. —Thomas Kinkade I t doesn’t matter how good you are at your job—you probably experience times when you think to yourself, I should be doing more. Work hours seem to be getting longer and longer and with today’s technology, we are constantly connected to our work. It becomes a persistent challenge to create boundaries and actually be off duty after working hours. Balancing work and life can be difficult. There are only so many hours in the day to accomplish your goals—personal, professional, or otherwise. Achieving balance can feel like walking a wire across the Grand Canyon; balance is possible, sure, but it’s hard to move forward when it’s such a long way down. Every time we try to shift some of our time and energy toward other areas of our life, the internal voices chide us about what will happen if we neglect our work. We will lose that important customer or that account. We will lose our momentum. If we lose our focus, we will fall. Everyone who knows me, knows that I am workaholic. I admit it. Yvonne has learned to live with it. But I have learned over the years that we can make deliberate choices about which opportunities to pursue and which to decline, about which parts of life are important and which are merely urgent. We can meaningfully engage with our work but also with our families and our communities. We can involve our families in decisions and activities. The nice thing about Yvonne being my personal assistant is that she is always part of the action. She always enjoys the opportunity to
76 AN AMAZING LIFE know what’s going on; know the customers and staff; and know the trials and tribulations of managing banks. We can stay healthy, stay focused, and stay present when it counts. We can prosper in all areas, not just one, and over a period of years, not just the short term. To me, this is what it means to find balance. Balance is not better time management, but better boundary management. Balance means making choices and enjoying those choices. —Betsy Jacobson Deliberate choices don’t guarantee complete control by any means. The best-laid plans can fail, as everyone finds out at one time or another. Life sometimes takes over. But one way to sustain yourself through challenging times is to stay connected to the people you care about most, to invest in those relationships, and to balance what you have to do with what you want and need to do. Making Time for Family While being an entrepreneur has been exciting most of my life, the dedication of time for my career and my efforts to give back to the community have required incredible investments of time and other resources… and this is not a bad thing. Nevertheless, I never lost focus or desire to invest time with my family, the most important thing in the world to me. Maybe, I internalized this priority from watching my own father, who maintained a strong marriage with my mother. Not one time in my life did he argue or raise his voice to her. And he showed his love for me, not by anything he ever said, but by his actions—his mentoring in projects, his help with my own, his patience in teaching me about the parts of a car as we took engines apart and rebuilt them. Struggle as he did to provide for his family, he always found time to include me and my sister in yard work or playing croquet or other family endeavors. Actions always speak louder than words. It is not what I say, it is what I do. —WEJ
A BALANCED LIFE 77 It has been much the same in my own career. Often my chosen profession required long hours at work or home, but I never felt guilty. I never lost sight of my own reasons for working so hard….it was clear that the primary goal was to provide for my family; go to fun places; and do things the family would enjoy. I wanted to have horses for the kids and weekend retreats; to enjoy the real rewards of hard work. I am incredibly fortunate to have a wife that is also a partner in my success. Yvonne has also spent many hours at my side helping me accomplish tasks, being a terrific mother to our kids and grandkids, entertaining clients with no help… except me. We do it all ourselves and we both call it fun while others may call it a chore, a duty, or hard work. While I am sure anyone would tell the same story about raising kids— the challenge of teenage years and encouraging studious structure—it is always fun to look back at the amazing fun times we enjoyed as a family. I suppose as one gets closer to the end of life, as I am now 84, memories and discussions of wonderful past experiences become more precious every year. Nothing is more precious than wonderful memories and fortunately, we seem to forget the years of trauma. —WEJ I believe it’s OK to be a workaholic if you also focus on having a balanced life and finding quality time for the family. First of all, you need to think about your kids. During my kids’ growing years I never played golf on purpose. Because I didn’t see much of them during the week due to my work schedule, I made sure that my weekends were free to spend totally with the kids. Literally, I did this until they were all out of the house and gone on their way. We started out regularly camping in tents on weekends. After a while, we upgraded to a camping trailer, then to a motor home and ultimately, the house at Point Venture on Lake Travis. Later we had our home on Galveston Bay. I have always believed that it is not the amount of time you spend with your family but the quality of time that you spend with your family. Today I think technology has been a huge detriment to the amount of quality time we spend, because the iPhone, the iPad, the computer, etc. take more of our time than we imagine.
78 AN AMAZING LIFE Traveling and Vacations Yvonne and I have traveled to 58 countries and had a lot of mini vacations. There aren’t many things that we haven’t done together. Today we enjoy golfing and fly-fishing in Colorado, as well as doing a little traveling. A safari in Africa was the highlight of all my travels. Yvonne and I, with customer Henry and Carolyn Broesche, spent three weeks in Africa. Most of it was on a safari in tents in Botswana and Namibia. We spent about ten days in tents in the bush. At night, we would hear the lions that rubbed up against the tents. There were monkeys around us all day as well as elephants. It was an experience of a lifetime. The hunt was challenging, and I did get four trophies. We also enjoyed Cape Town. I’m often disappointed when I hear uninformed people express anger over shooting animals. An analogy to hunting could be that, if you have a herd of cattle and you never touch them, they will continue to multiply to the point that the pastures get destroyed and the animals starve. This is exactly what’s happening to the elephants in Africa. In Botswana, the government had decided to kill 10% of the herds every year. The animals that Henry and I shot were immediately skinned and the meat, except for our camp, was given to ART FROM MY AFRICA HUNTING TRIPS I commissioned paintings of my African hunts that are displayed in my office.
A BALANCED LIFE 79 local villages. They all depend on the hunters to supply them with food. There was not one teaspoon of flesh that wasn’t eaten, including everything inside the animal. The only thing we left with was the skin from the head and cape from the body. Not even a bone was sent to America to be processed for display. The cape buffalo is one of the most dangerous animals in Africa. Because they are hard to kill, they are very mean, and they become extremely aggressive when shot. My cape buffalo hunt lasted two days because we wanted to get a trophy. My guide and I crawled on our stomach for what seemed like miles trying to get close enough to the herd to get a shot. We spent hours with binoculars searching for the right animal. We had no cover, we were in grass that wasn’t more than 12 inches deep, and we had to hide in that cover. We had sand and stickers and dust in our eyes. When we realized that we couldn’t find the right animal, my guide and I backed out to try another path. We walked around the herd, probably 300 buffalo, making a wide circle that was a two-mile walk so we could come up from the other side. I was the typical white hunter in long pants, hiking boots, canteen on one hip, binoculars on another, and gun over my shoulder. My guide, who was 6’2,” weighed about as much as a long-distance runner. He had on tennis shoes and short pants, and had no water, only binoculars and a gun. Trying to keep up with him on a two-mile hurried walk around the buffalo was a real test of my endurance. I certainly couldn’t do it today at 84. Nevertheless, I survived and after many hours of searching we sighted a trophy and I got my buffalo. On the last day of the hunt we were running out of time but Henry finally got his animal. Few people in the world have had a more active and challenging life than I have. Building boats, real estate projects, and most recently railroad terminals has been exciting and rewarding. Yvonne and I still go to our office at the bank and enjoy the interaction with our customers and officers. The challenge of bringing in new business will always be in my blood. Today I still work 50 hours a week, but work is my hobby. Fortunately, most of what I’m involved with has the supportive help of Yvonne, who is also fully engaged. I know it is standard procedure for older people to reminisce—and no one could have as many fun experiences to reminisce as we do. Every day, after age 84, is a gift and we make the most of it every day!
THE JOHNSON FAMILY BAY HOUSE RETREAT—“HOME” 81 The Johnson Family Bay House Retreat—“Home” It is amazing what you can accomplish when you are passionate about the challenge you are engaged in. It never seems like work! —WEJ I firmly believe in working hard coupled with a balanced life. —WEJ For t he past 38 yea rs, Yvonne and I have had two homes. We built our third in Durango, Colorado in 2006 when I turned 70. Yvonne and I sold our big boat that we had been keeping in the Bahamas, deciding we wanted a home on a golf course in Durango. We bought clubs and learned to play golf at the age of 70. In addition to this, we also have a home in Houston, a high-rise called Villa de Este that is very short walk from the bank, and our bay home, our favorite retreat for 38 years, which is on upper Galveston Bay. Galveston Bay is stunning, 27 miles wide and 27 miles long, so that it makes you feel like you are on the ocean. It is in the city of La Porte, Texas, 29 miles from the Galleria in Houston. This location is also terrific because of the convenience. We discovered the bay house in 1982 just after Hurricane Alicia. Yvonne Bay house, La Porte, Texas
82 AN AMAZING LIFE and I were spending the weekend with our friends Berdon and Rolanette Lawrence who have been wonderful customers and friends forever. They have a 100-year-old house there on the bay. In any case, next door to their place was a tear-down home that was in horrible condition. The last hurricane had brought in water that damaged some of the floors. The place, however, did have a swimming pool, if you looked hard enough to find it among all the grass and three-foot tall weeds. Despite this state of disrepair, the idyllic location called me, and the price was right. I found out I could buy it for $65,000 dollars but it needed a lot of work. I have always been enamored with Galveston Bay. The area is so beautiful and tranquil with most of the water protected where we are because of Atkinson Island, which goes from the ship channel halfway to the Galveston island. Very close to our house is the Houston Yacht Club. We can look out and see ships going back and forth all day long. On many occasions, we see dozens of small sail boats that the kids are sailing in a regatta, but sometimes we see big sail boats. We also have lots of egrets, seagulls, and pelicans, plus other such birds—and occasionally sea otters— out on our pier. They say that necessity is the mother of invention. Necessity has made me an accomplished carpenter, a plumber, a decent electrician, and a jack of all trades. I was poor—or felt poor—most of my life. Necessity required me to do almost all of my own work, repairs, construction, and carpentry. I can build anything there is (including a house from the ground up if necessary). I have all the tools, machinery and equipment to do an accomplished job. I also build furniture, carve ducks and make other things with wood. Do not be afraid to try things you have never done. —WEJ When I saw the 65-year old house, I wanted it. I knew immediately how I could remodel it and turn the place into my retreat. My wife and kids thought I was crazy in buying this dilapidated old house, but it had great bones. It was a solid structure that had been through every hurricane for over the past 60 years, refusing to budge or give in to wind, rain, or hail. Yvonne and I spent 3½ years restoring the house. It will be 100 years old in 2027 and it is just beautiful today and stays beautiful. The house could not be any more different than when we first saw the place. Now the house is beautiful. It has big bay windows. Inside there is no sheetrock. All
THE JOHNSON FAMILY BAY HOUSE RETREAT—“HOME” 83 the walls and ceilings have 1’ x 5’ v-grooved boards that are painted ivory. We knocked out walls to enlarge rooms and added beams to support the ceiling. The house originally had one bath and I added two and a half more. We converted the garage to a very nice game room with stairs up to the loft where there is a bed and bath. We also added a fireplace and oak hardwood floors—the most backbreaking job we did was installing that beautiful oak flooring! Yvonne and I built all the cabinets and put up all the moldings all around the house. We built a lot of kitchen cabinets and a center island in kitchen to make it more modern. Under the island, for example, we have an ice maker, dishwasher, and electric countertop burners. The ovens are built into the cabinet as well as the microwave. When we finished, it was a beautiful modern kitchen. No doubt, we averaged 40 hours of work a weekend for those 3 ½ years. On a typical weekend, we would have a burger on the way to the Bay house and arrive around 6:00 or 7:00 p.m. on Friday night, then work until 1:00 or 2:00 a.m. We each had a cot in front of the bay window, and when the sun came up, it was time to get started. We’d nearly always work past midnight and follow the same routine: sleep on the cot, get up with the sun, start working on the place again—thirty hours on our feet every weekend, stretching, bending, sawing, hammering, pulling out nails, sanding and painting. We took all the walls down to the studs, re-wired the house, re-plumbed it, and the only person who came to do any work on the house was an electrician because we needed to be sure that everything was done right for safety reasons—even though I can do my own electrical work. Every other minute detail Yvonne and I did together. I think there is a lesson in this story. That is: when you like what you do, and you are committed to the challenge, the adrenaline starts flowing and it’s hard to stop. Over the years, our Bay house has gotten a lot of use especially when we founded Southwest Bank of Texas. I would set up bunk beds in our Our pool with new deck at Bay house.
84 AN AMAZING LIFE game room, and we could sleep ten men, which we did often. We would invite prospects and new customers, plus our officers. My fishing guides would meet us at my pier, and we would have a day of fishing. I would do the cooking, and Yvonne would do the beds to get ready for the next group. We had lots of fun, but it was lots of work for me and Yvonne. The work, of course, was worth it. I think there is a lesson to all of this. Namely, as I have said, when you like what you do, and you are committed to the challenge, the adrenaline starts flowing, and it is hard to stop. I have always felt that working on the Bay house. A place, after all, is more than what you see. Memories and emotions color a locale. In this way, the Bay house has become a very meaningful part of all of our lives. The most important thing, of course, centers on the fact that our family—our kids, seven grandkids, and six great grandkids—love the house as much as we do. It is a great place for them to get away from time to time. We have all spent so many good moments there. Yvonne and I still go there nearly every weekend. Heading off to fish from the Bay house. Sunrise at Bay house.
Part III Five Seconds from Death
FIVE SECONDS FROM DEATH—AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE 87 Five Seconds from Death— An Amazing Experience It was a test of faith, a test of endurance, a test of hanging on. —WEJ It was an experience that made me wonder many, many times, if God was, in fact, looking over my shoulder. —WEJ Death, of course, is always around us. When I was 40 years old, however, I experienced this first-hand. I spent over 20 long hours on a 15-foot boat—surrounded by blinding rain and 12-foot seas—with nowhere to go because we were 90 miles from shore. I had nothing to do but hold on, knowing that death could be five seconds away, wondering how a chain of events had led me to this stranger’s boat, this native who was wearing my friend Gene Branscomb’s Rolex. The journey started with Gene, one of my biggest customers, who developed monstrous apartment projects. He did this mostly with someone else’s money, but he kept huge deposits with Allied Bank. Prior to my 40th birthday, our excursion began in Cozumel, where Gene had a house. Gene had just bought a brand-new float plane that held four people, and this was our maiden voyage. Friday morning, we left the Cozumel airport and flew at a very low altitude throughout the waters between Mexico and Honduras. We would find places that we wanted to stop and go diving or snorkeling to get lobster, places that were totally inaccessible by boat. We spent the day hopping from pond to pond in amazingly pristine waters. That evening, when it was time to go back to Cozumel, Gene thought it would be a good idea to land the plane in the ocean in front of his house because the next morning, we were going to go to Chinchorro Reef, which
88 AN AMAZING LIFE was off the coast of Belize and Mexico. The closest port in Mexico would be Chetumal. In any case, our pilot had never flown this plane, and as we tried to land, he realized that the waves were too high. They were beating our pontoons to death, to the point that I was sure we were going to flip, but we did not. In the end, he was able to make it back to the airfield, dropped the wheels, and we had a nice, smooth landing. The pilot reviewed the pontoons and came back with good news: everything appeared to be just fine. He announced that the plane was safe for the next day’s journey. So, Saturday morning, we got up early and drove back to the airfield. We boarded the plane and headed to Chinchorro Reef, which was about a three-hour flight. I was anxious for us to land and get started with our day’s activities. Before I knew it, we were there. The reef was approximately two miles long and not much wider than a football field. It was amazingly beautiful—so much coral. You could literally see the fish from the plane. The island itself was a half-moon shape with a gorgeous beach. We landed on the leeward side of the island, away from the wind, and taxied right up to the beach. We quickly got our four-foot rubber raft out, hooked up our five-horse motor and put our gas tank and extra water in the boat. We put in two or three Igloo coolers and our diving gear. Then we started our journey, which would take us over the sunken treasures of the reef. Up to this point, everything was fine. We only had to be sure the boat could carry our gear and store our treasures. We never bothered to use our diving gear because the water depth between reefs and rocks was never more than 20 feet. We could easily scoop down to get the lobsters that were hiding up under the coral. There is a 99% chance, I figured, that no one had ever been where we were because it was impossible to get a boat in the reef because the coral heads were too close to the surface. By the end of the day, we had lots of lobster, conch shells, and other beautiful shells that we had come across. Around 5:00 p.m., Gene announced it was time for us to return to the plane. So, we made our way back to the island and put our ice chests—now loaded—on the plane along with our diving gear and the motor. Then we let the air out of the boat and rolled it up. We stuck it in the back row of the plane, and the pilot cranked the engine and began to take flight. The plane, however, was not about to get in the air. It acted as though we were dragging ten anchors. The pilot investigated the problem and quickly stated he thought we had water in the pontoons, but told us not to worry because
FIVE SECONDS FROM DEATH—AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE 89 the plane was equipped with a small hand pump for such occasions. So, we taxied back to the island and hooked a tube up to the small orifice in the six compartments on each pontoon. We pumped like crazy and got out a lot of water. It was a relief to know that we did not have a serious problem. We fixed it and got back in. Back to Cozumel, we thought. Only—to our surprise—the plane still dragged. We were not about to get in the air. Once more, we headed back to the island. This time we took off the inspection plate on top of each of the six compartments on the pontoons. They were fastened with about fifty tiny aluminum screws. Luckily, we had one Philips head screwdriver. When we removed the first inspection plate and looked inside, the pontoon appeared to have about 15 gallons of water in it—as did the others when we removed the plates. Now we had to dip water out of the pontoons to get the water out. Fortunately, we had one beer, one Coca-Cola, and a gallon water jug, which was almost empty. The three of us took a big drink and cut the lid off of Chinchorro Reef Chetumal Maps showing Chetumal, Mexico and the Chinchorro Reef area
90 AN AMAZING LIFE the bottle and used it to remove the water. We had an assembly line—one of us would take the plates off, one would remove the water, and the other would put the plates back on with the little screws. Finally, we were confident that we had solved the problem. We assumed we could get back to Cozumel. But, again, no lift—the same problem. This time, we brought the plane back to the island and took off the plates. Again, there was water in the pontoons. We had to repeat the process and dip out all the water. This time, however, we determined that we must have damaged the pontoons when we hit the rough water the night before. We must have cracked the seams. When the plane was trying to take off earlier, we deduced it was actually forcing water into the pontoons. Now we were getting frustrated. It was getting to be emergency time. We decided the best bet was for the pilot to get the plane off the water by himself and come back the next day with a fresh plane or helicopter. We emptied the pontoons once again. This time, we took the ice chests and the motor and the boat and put them on the beach to try to make the plane lighter. Then we bid the pilot farewell. He tried to take off but was having the same problem. The pilot decided if he could get away from the leeward side of the island and pick up some wind, he might be able to get the plane in the air. By this time, it was nearing dark, however, and he hit some coral reefs with the rudders on the pontoons. Now he had no way to steer the plane. We heard the engine die and saw the pilot standing out on the pontoons, waving at us. We could tell that he was drifting away from the island into the darkness. This, of course, was really serious because in a short period of time he could be in the ocean. Gene and I quickly got the boat out of the mango swamps where we had hidden it and hooked up the motor. Gene went to get the pilot, and I stayed on the island because I always carry a small flashlight with me. I told Gene that after dark—which was just minutes away—I would stand there and flash the light to give him a signal every five minutes or so. Gene made it to the plane with the little four-foot boat and hooked a tow line on the plane. He started bringing the plane back to the island against the wind. It took hours. As I was standing on the beach, however, it was not too dark to see my body was literally covered black with mosquitoes. All I had on was a bathing suit. No shirt. No hat. Then the most amazing thing occurred. A young Mexican came out of nowhere in his boat from the deeper water, which was near the shore. He stood beside me, watching, as we could almost see in the distance a little
FIVE SECONDS FROM DEATH—AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE 91 boat, dragging a plane back to the island. At the time, I spoke absolutely no Spanish, and he spoke no English. Later, we discovered that he came here every year at this time on his two weeks’ vacation from his job in Chetumal, Mexico. He gathered conch shells to take back to sell. When Gene finally made it back, we anchored the plane. Our new Mexican friend told us to get in his boat. He said he would take us to the windward side of the island, where it is extremely windy. There we would find three huts on stilts, like in old Vietnamese movies. The huts were made out of what appeared to be reeds or limbs from the mango swamps. Once there, we ate some of the lobster raw we had caught that day, and I assure you that lobster is really tough when raw. We still had one beer and one Coke left. Our new Mexican friend had water, but it looked like the Mississippi River. We did not dare drink it. We spent the night in the huts. The wind was too forceful for any mosquitos, but it was howling through the sticks, making as much noise as a loud playing band. The only thing I had for a pillow was my arm. If you turned, you were punched in the back by some of the crooked sticks. It was the longest night of my life. I could not wait for the sun to come up. At sunrise the next morning, we all got back to the plane—with our new Mexican friend. Gene, the pilot, and I took the pontoon covers off one more time. We removed all the water. Then in order to make the plane lighter, we took all the seats out, the floorboards, the hood off the engine, and the toolbox. Anything we could remove with our one screwdriver came out and was put on the beach, including even the door. In the process, I found a couple pieces of wire and got on the pontoons and successfully rewired the connecting rod, so that the pilot was able to steer the pontoons as he attempted to make his escape. This time, the plan worked, and the pilot got off the water. Next, Gene convinced our Mexican friend to cut his two-week vacation to one day and take us to Chetumal, which was the closest place with any people and an airport. At the time, we had no money. The only thing of value was Gene’s $3000 Rolex diving watch, which our new friend had fallen in love with. He thought that would be acceptable barter to return us to Chetumal. Only now we had another problem developing: the sky was turning furiously black, and the wind was picking up, blowing, at least, 15 or 20 knots from the south. I inspected the seaworthiness of the boat. It was 15-foot, crudely homemade, and had a 25-horsepower Johnson motor. Nobody, but me,
92 AN AMAZING LIFE would know what kind of motor it was because I had one like it for many years. This motor, in any case, had been painted over so many times it did not look seaworthy. In the middle of the boat was a was 20-gallon plastic look-a-like medicine bottle that had a tall narrow neck and a cup over it to keep the rainwater out. Near the motor was a gas can that plugged into the motor and fed gas as the engine sucked it on its way. This gas can could only hold six gallons, so along our way, numerous times, our captain would kill the engine, siphon gas from the bottle into the can, then proceed onward. Even a large boat in the ocean with waves slapping at it—rocking and rolling it—is very susceptible to turning over. I just knew this was going to happen. The storm continued to get worse. The tops of the waves were blowing sideways, peppering us with salt from the spray. The stinging sensation was horrible. The only thing I could do was use my hands to shelter my eyes and wish I had something else on besides my bathing suit. Our captain was standing up in back of the boat, holding the motor and looking forward. When I looked forward, however, I could not see anything beyond the front of the boat. Water spray was like a wave itself in front of the boat. In addition to carrying the flashlight, I always carry a compass. I asked the captain if he wanted it. I knew enough Spanish to know he said it was not necessary. I also knew that we had 60 to 90 miles to go across the ocean depending on the route we took. I knew that the second longest barrier reef in the world—the one that comes right down Central America across Honduras, Belize, Guatemala, all the way into Columbia—was somewhere up ahead. Through all my diving experience, I knew that you cannot touch the reef, cannot walk on the reef. If a wave knocks you into the reef, it cuts you to pieces. Throughout this journey, I knew if we made it to the reef, we would flounder there and be cut to ribbons. We would make great fish food. The possibility of us getting to Chetumal, I reasoned, was remote. It would take a miracle. Honestly, I figured we were going to die. I had 13 hours to think about this. For whatever reason, however, I was calm, not worried at all. For one, there was nothing we could do to help our situation. Up to then, I had had a great life. Unfortunately, I thought, this was probably going to be the end. We had been on the water, tossing around in 12-foot waves since about 6:00 or 7:00 in the morning, and now it was close to midnight according
FIVE SECONDS FROM DEATH—AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE 93 to the captain’s new Rolex. That was about 18 hours, literally trying to hang on. Obviously, Gene and I were totally exhausted, and it was very difficult to hang on without losing our grip. Throughout this entire journey, there were no landmarks, no trees, no sky. There was only a wall of water passing over us—white foam from the wind and the salt. Somewhere near midnight, we approached the reef. We passed right through it just as clearly as I would walk through the door of my office. In some point in history, I learned later, dynamiters had blasted an opening in the reef so the boats from the marinas in Chetumal and the fishermen could do their catches for the day and return. This passageway might have been 30 or 40 feet wide, just wide enough for boats to come and go but not wide enough for two to go through at once. Once through the reef, we still had a six-hour trip to get to Chetumal, Mexico. Inside the bay, we had four-foot waves that beat the little boat to death. By the time we got to Chetumal, I knew what a milkshake must feel like. When we got to the dock around 8:00 a.m., lo and behold, the pilot was waving at us. He had gotten back to Cozumel safely in the float plane and had brought Gene’s jet down to pick us up. For the float plane, this was the maiden voyage—and the last voyage. Gene scrapped the pontoons and turned it into a regular airplane to be used on his ranches. In the last 45 years, I imagine I have thought about this story more than a thousand times. I must admit that I am not a very religious person— shame on me—but if I have ever had a religious experience this has to be it. How in the world did our new Mexican friend show up standing beside me just a few hours after we realized that we were in trouble? I am pretty sure God knows that I had not done anything bad enough to deserve the punishment of facing death for 18 hours. Maybe it was a test. The miracle of all miracles, however, was how in the world did this captain take us across the ocean in a little boat, bouncing around like a cork? In the wee hours of the morning without enough light to see me sitting four feet away from him, he somehow went through the only cut available in the reef to enter the bay to go to Chetumal. When I look back on the experience, I realize I have never wished it had not happened. Actually, I am glad it happened because it was a test of faith, a test of endurance, a test of hanging on. It was an experience that made me wonder many, many times if God was, in fact, looking over my shoulder. •
94 AN AMAZING LIFE Saving My Son Mike— Another Case of Divine Intervention His eye is on the sparrow, and I know He watches me. —Civilla D. Martin, lyricist There is one other story I still replay over and over in my mind that, to me, is emphatic proof of divine intervention. At our Bay home, it was lunch time and part of my family was sitting with me at the table. My son Mike was out fishing in one of my two boats with his family—his wife and three kids under 12 years old—and was late returning. We had no way to check on him because none of us had cell phones at the time and I would not really know where to go find him. While I knew he would not have gone more than five miles away, there were numerous spots around Atkinson Island that we had fished and beached in the past. On the back side of the south end of the island was Mike’s favorite spot so I figured if he did not arrive soon, I would go and see if I could find him there to be sure he was ok. Lunch was half over when something struck me. It felt like a heart attack or a stroke! It was an amazing bolt of fear—like a lightning strike in my head. Without saying a word, I jumped from the table and bolted out the door. I ran as fast as possible to my other boat hanging from the lift on my dock and lowered it as quickly as I could. I jumped in the boat, pushed it to maximum speed, and I headed about five miles away—in a direction I would never usually have taken. I would never head north of the island. At the very mouth of the ship channel were really huge ships regularly coming out of the Channel as they headed south to Galveston then offshore on their worldwide navigation. But here I was, headed north and not even thinking. It was like I was in a trance and panicked beyond belief. After about four miles to an unknown destination with no knowledge of why I was going there, I saw a tiny boat sitting exactly in the middle of the ship channel—and seemingly a few feet away was a mammoth 400-foot ship bearing down on it. And as I got closer, I realized it was my boat and Mike’s family was in it. I could also see that in a matter of seconds, they would all be mincemeat. I quickly grabbed a heavy line (rope), put a loop in one end, and coiled the rest so I could throw it like a cowboy’s lasso. I sped past Mike and
FIVE SECONDS FROM DEATH—AN AMAZING EXPERIENCE 95 slowed down only enough to toss him the line, which he quickly put over the front cleat so I could tow him. It was apparent that no one steering the huge ship saw us because they did not show any indications of slowing down. I assumed they had it in autopilot, programmed to navigate the Channel toward Galveston. I towed the boat with Mike’s family aboard to a safe distance, just enough distance that it was not hit by the ship, but the ship’s wake was almost enough to capsize the boat if I had not been towing him. It was a harrowing experience, but Mike and his family had been saved from sure death thanks to that amazing bolt. This was a real Biblical experience! I have never felt God’s guidance as strongly as I did that day! As I am sitting at the table writing this story, looking out to the bay and watching the sailboats nearby and beyond that, the ships going both ways on the Channel, I cannot help but think about this story that I replayed in my mind more than a 1,000 times. I still have so many questions: • Can there possibly be any earthly reason I was hit by something like a bolt of lightning? • How is it possible that I was sent north, where we never ever go? • How could my direction and distance covered have been so strategically pinpointed—like GPS navigation which had not even been invented yet? • How could the timing have been so critically orchestrated that I saved Mike and his family’s lives with not more than 10 seconds to spare? If the two stories in this chapter do not give one a reason to believe in Divine Intervention, then nothing ever will! There is a tendency to see divine intervention in things that happen in the normal course of miracles. —Robert Breault
Part IV Travel, Fun and Interesting Memories