William James (Jim) Wride, age 95, passed on March 17, 2017, in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. He will be greatly missed by his family, friends and many acquaintances developed during his life as a Bartlesville resident for the past 65 years.
A native of Washington state, Jim Wride was born December 3, 1921, on a farm in Whitman County, Washington, to Robert J. Wride and Edna E. Wride. He graduated from Garfield, WA high school in May 1938.
Mr. Wride majored in Chemical Engineering at Washington State University in Pullman, WA. During his senior year he was called into service in the U.S. Air Corps. During his time as a Flight Engineer in B-29's, Mr. Wride was awarded the Air Medal and the Distinguished Flying Cross for WWII combat duty while based on Saipan. After his discharge at the end of the war, Mr. Wride completed work for a Master of Science degree in Chemistry at Washington State University in August 1946 and was awarded a Ph.D. in Chemical Engineering in December 1948 from Iowa State University in Ames, Iowa.
In March 1948 he married Mabel I. Miller in Ames, Iowa, where she had just graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree from Iowa State University. They maintained their home in Ames until January 1952 where Mr. Wride was co-owner of Ames Engineering and Testing Service, a consulting engineering firm doing business in Iowa. Mr. Wride was a licensed Professional Engineer in Iowa and Oklahoma.
In 1952 Mr. Wride began a 32-year career with Phillips Petroleum Company in Bartlesville, Oklahoma. Twenty-two years were spent in various positions including Branch Manager for process design, pilot plant, project development and commercial plant optimization activities. Mr. Wride was an active participant in the process design of the first three commercial Marlex Polyethylene plants built by Phillips Petroleum Company. He spent five months in Spain on start-up of a Phillips-licensed Marlex Polyethylene plant.
For the next ten years he was a technical consultant and then Manager of Engineering and Technology for Phillips Energy Minerals Division. This included five months in South Africa helping to prove the technical feasibility of commercial gasification of Phillips' Texas lignite.
Mr. Wride retired from Phillips in 1984. He and Mrs. Wride continued to live in Bartlesville in retirement until the current date. They traveled extensively, driving around the U.S., joining tour groups for international travel, and frequently attending Air Force reunions. In addition to playing golf together, both were active in many volunteer projects and church and community activities over those years.
Mr. Wride was a member of college honoraries Alpha Chi Sigma, Sigma Tau, and Phi Lambda Upsilon. He was an active member and volunteer at St. John Catholic Church, Knights of Columbus, the Bartlesville Section of American Institute of Chemical Engineers, the Sunset Country Club, Philrester's Club and Green Country Village retirement community.
He was preceded in death by his parents Robert J. Wride and Edna E. Wride, his sister Katherine Peterson of Reardan, Washington, two brothers, Robert and Donald of Garfield, Washington, and an infant son. He is survived by his wife Mabel of Bartlesville, one son, John Wride of Tulsa, OK, two daughters, Barbara Ferguson and husband Scott of Tulsa, OK and Marilyn Cavallo of Owasso, OK and her sons Anthony Cavallo of Durant, OK, his wife Lindsay and their three children Luke, A.J. and Emma and Jeffrey Cavallo of Tulsa, OK, his wife Seanna and their two children Kane and Derek. Mr. Wride is also survived by one brother, Alan Wride, of Garfield, Washington.
A prayer service vigil will be held on Thursday, March 23 at 6pm at Stumpff Funeral Home Chapel. A funeral Mass will be held at 1pm on Friday, March 24, 2017 at St. John Catholic Church, Bartlesville, OK. Services are under the direction of Stumpff Funeral Home, 1600 SE Washington Blvd, Bartlesville, OK. Friends who wish may sign the online guest book and leave condolences at www.stumpff.org. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the St. John Catholic School Building Fund or the charity of your choice - |