Billy Ross White

Shreveport- Funeral services celebrating the life of B. Ross White will be held on Wednesday, November 19^th at 10 a.m. at Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Funeral Home at 2500 Southside Drive, Shreveport, Louisiana 71118. Visitation will take place at Kilpatrick's Rose-Neath Funeral Home at 6 p.m. until 8 p.m. Tuesday, November 18^th. Ross died on November 15^th at the age of 87. He was preceded in death by his first wife, Verona Jean Gay White, and his second wife, Ethel Marie Shirley Alexander White and his daughter Vicky Dowden. He enjoyed a close relationship with his nine children (including 5 step-children), 24 grandchildren and 25 great-grandchildren. He is survived by Glen White, Tim and Janet Ford, Mark and Patricia White, Tina White, Jim and Terry McIlwain, Steve and Sandra Frith, Charles and Tina McManis, Earl Alexander and Renee Fanning, grandchildren, David Ross White, Christopher Glen and Geri White, Tyler Paul and Suzane Ford, Garret Ross and Mandy Ford, Grayson Ford, David and Christy McClure, Clinton and Sarah White, Tesslyn Rae Lampkin, Bradley and Jamie Dowden, Craig and Amy Dowden, April Michelle Holley, James Travis and Asley McIlwain, Logan and Emily McIlwain, Lindsey Erin Frith, James Alexander Frith, John Michael Frith, Wendy and Danny Mathews, Daniel and Jessica Welch, Caleb Joseph Welch Megan Lope, Thomas McManis, Josh and Morgan Guyans, Jay McManis, Taylor Madison Alexander, and Austin Stuart Alexander, great grandchildren, Abbigail Christine White, Alexander Glen White, Ava Rose White, Amelia Jane White, Trent Harper Ford, Trevor Hayes Ford, Madison Loraine Ingram, Mason James Ingram, Lauren Paige Elizabeth Breedlove, Peyton Alan White, Bryson Dowden, Cayson Dowden, Alivia Rose Dowden, Anna Marie Dowden, Ava Dowden, James Henry McIlwain, Grace Elizabeth McIlwain, Reed Alexander McIlwain, Hanna Mathews, Hayden Mathews, Jase Dean Welch, Baby Welch due in January, Elaina Kay Welch, Baby Welch due in January, Colby Guyans, and Brayden Guyans. He was an active and long-time member of St. Andrew's Presbyterian Church. The family would like to express our appreciation to our father's special friends and supporters, including: Jim Connell, Dot Reeves, the staff at The Glen, Hospice of Shreveport Bossier, and his associates at the Beck Building. Billy Ross White was born on January 17, 1927 in Mansfield, Louisiana. After graduating from Mansfield High School in 1943 he worked in the Navy Shipyards in Orange, Texas. He enlisted in the Army in 1945 and served in the European Theater for two years. He earned a B. S. Degree in Geology from Centenary College in 1951. He began his career in the oil and gas industry hustling jugs for Seismograph Service Corporation (SSC). As party chief, his experience with field interpretations played a major role in his future success, particularly as concerns seismic interpretation and management. Ross joined Placid Oil Company in Shreveport in 1956 as District Manager. He enjoyed a 23 year association with his boss, mentor and friend, Mr. W. F. (Dink) Dalton. Mr. Dalton was an engineer by training, but an optimist and explorationist to the core and Ross was the conduit that made things happen - and happen they did! Their friendship ultimately resulted in discovery of the huge Black Lake Field in Natchitoches Parish, Louisiana. Black Lake proved to be one of the largest oil fields in Louisiana in the last forty years. This achievement alone assured Ross White's distinguished career as a successful exploration geologist. However, prior to and following the discovery of Black Lake Field, Ross and his geological staff found oil and gas reserves in many other areas, including Lucky Field, Bienville Parish, Louisiana (Sligo-Hosston-Cotton Valley); Olla, Little Creek and Nebo Fields, LaSalle Parish, Louisiana (Wilcox); Pool Creek Field, Jones county, Mississippi (Smackover); Thompson Creek Field, Wayne County Mississippi (Sligo-Hosston); Alta Loma Field, Galveston County, Texas (Frio); and Nottingham-East Nottingham Fields, Saskatchewan, Canada (Mississippian-Devonian). In 1979, Ross joined Copeland Oil Company as Vice-President and Exploration manager. He immediately found success with extensions to Panther Creek Field, Claiborne Parish, Louisiana; Grand Cane Field, DeSoto Parish, Louisiana. After two years with Copeland and a brief stint with Huggs, Incorporated, Ross became an Independent Petroleum Geologist in 1982 where he consulted and continued to pursue and drill prospects in the Ark-La-Tex area. Ross is a Certified Petroleum Geologist and was a member of the Shreveport Petroleum Club, and the American Association of Petroleum Geologists (AAPG) until last year. He served as Vice-President of the Shreveport Geological Society in 1990 and President in 1991 and he was recognized as an honorary member in 1993. He served the Gulf Coast Association of Geological Societies (GCAGS) as Vice-chairman in 1970, Registration Chairman in 1976, Editor in 1984 and Treasurer in 1993. He has authored papers related to geology of Black Lake Field for World Oil in 1966, the AAPG Bulletin in 1972 and the GCAGS Transactions in 1966. He was honored by GCAGS in 2001 with a dedication to him in their Transactions (Volume 51, 2001) publication. His love for the outdoors is legendary. In spite of his busy schedule, he always found time to fish. Ross was a dedicated family man, consummate gentleman, devoted Christian, patriot and caring friend to all who have known him. His passion to explore, to drill deeper, to master the elements and find oil and gas production was his trademark for sixty-two professional years. Ross finally retired from his job in the Fall of 2013. He worked at his job full-time for as long as he could get out of his bed and drive himself to his office because he loved his job and it was a major part of who he was. He was an amazing father and a professional geologist for life. He was a man of principle, a geologist to the core, and a friend, father, grandfather, and great-grandfather forever. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to St. Andrews Presbyterian Church, Alzheimer's Association, and Wounded Worriers. Rose-Neath Southside 2500 Southside Drive 318-687-1256