Joan Ragsdale Baskin

Joan Ragsdale Baskin passed November 8, 2019 in Midland Memorial Hospital surrounded by her loving family.Joan was born in Galveston on August 26, 1931 to Galveston Daily News Editor Silas Baggett Ragsdale and his wife Sadie Jones Ragsdale. Joan attended Galveston Independent School District schools until 1943. At that time, Silas and Sadie moved the family to Houston, where Silas became Editor of Gulf Publishing. At age 12, Joan entered Houston Lamar High School. She graduated from Lamar at age 16.Joan matriculated to The University of Texas. At The University, Joan was an excellent student and leader. She majored in Plan II, The University’s honors liberal arts program, and was selected to academic honor society Phi Beta Kappa. Joan also was a member of Phi Beta Pi and the University’s debate team. At age 20, she graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree and was named The Most Outstanding Female Student at The University of Texas.One month after graduation, Joan married U.S. Army Lieutenant Pat McKinney Baskin. Five years older than Joan, Pat had graduated from The University with a Bachelor of Arts and an LLB in law and was serving as an Army Judge Advocate in Virginia while completing his MA in Government. Joan and Pat spent the first 18 months of their marriage in Virginia. These months would be the only time in her life when she resided outside Texas.At the end of Pat’s military service (and, more specifically, on Halloween 1953), Pat and Joan moved to Midland, Texas. On that day, Joan knew only two Midlanders, Pat’s high school friend Martin Allday and Joan’s Camp Mystic friend Tricia Pryor (later Patricia Allday).Both Pat and Joan fell in love with Midland. They would spend the rest of their respective lives in Midland and birth and raise four children there. Each child attended Midland Independent School District schools for each of his/her twelve years of education, and each graduated from Midland High. Thereafter, each child graduated from college. Collectively, they earned four under-graduate degrees and four graduate degrees.In the sixty-six years following that Halloween night, Joan and Pat became among Midland’s most enthusiastic and active citizens.Pat served as City Councilman, Mayor Pro-Tem and District Judge of the 142nd District Court.Joan never sought political office. Nevertheless, she served her community extraordinarily.She continued to love and serve The University of Texas. Over the last sixty-six years, she has been a sustaining—and unusually active—life member of the Ex-Students Association. She served on the ex-Students Board and Executive Committee. At the then-University President’s respective requests, she served on both the 1983 Centennial Commission, and the 2008 Committee of 125. These groups developed plans for The University’s future. In 2011, the Midland Ex-Students Association honored her by creating the Joan R. Baskin Scholarship Fund to benefits Midlanders seeking to attend the University of Texas.For all of her love of The University of Texas, however, the bulk of her life and service has been devoted to Midland, Texas. As the Midland Reporter Telegram reported on Sunday, “it would be almost impossible to list the organizations that (Joan) Baskin worked with, because they are so numerous”.That said, one reflection of her role can be seen in the awards that the Midland community have bestowed upon her: The Lucy Mashburn Woman of the Year, The Outstanding Arts Volunteer, Midland’s Outstanding Woman and the National Jefferson Award for public service achievements and, largely because of her, Midland’s Family of the Year Award.Moreover, Midland’s award for not-for profit service is now named The Judge Pat Baskin Family Volunteer of the Year Award.Though deeply appreciative of others’ kind recognition, Joan was not motivated by–and never sought—awards. Rather, her motivation for serving was to produce results for her community. For example:•\tFostering Healthy Integration–In response to a Federal judicial order in 1975, she and Pat created The Midland Alliance—a broad, multi-racial coalition of business, community and religious leaders that built near-unanimous support for a peaceful integration.•\tHealing the Midland/Odessa Feud Amidst the 1986 Oil Price Decline—In late 1985, Joan was named the first-ever female President of the Midland Chamber of Commerce. Shortly thereafter, oil prices dropped by 70%, and the Permian Basin experienced one of the worst regional depressions in modern Texas history. Rather than engage inner-city competition, however, Joan reached out to Odessa and her Chamber of Commerce counterpart, and together they began a long-term healing process that has continued to this day.•\tChampioning the Latchkey Kids—During the 1980s, Midland and virtually every major American city were feeling the negative effects of impoverished single-parent families upon their “latchkey” children. In the midst of Midland’s economic collapse, Joan organized a massive coalition that brought on-campus after-school childcare to a third of Midland’s public elementary schools.•\tRebuilding the Airport—In the midst of the 80s and 90s downturn, Midland’s airport was delapidated and its service was declining. Joan and others knew that, given its remoteness, Midland, much more than most cities, could not thrive without a great airport. Therefore, she and others successfully lead a broad coalition to approve bonds to build the new airport.•\tStrengthening Our Civic Engagement and Local Democracy—In a city that is strongly partisan, Joan quietly served as an unofficial and non-partisan advisor to our mayors our county judges, our state senators and our congressmen. She and they did not always agree, but these leaders always listen, largly because they knew that Joan was wise and motivated by the greater good.Joan loved and loyally served her family , friends, church, city and university…all of her life.Joan is survived by her children: Becky Baskin Ferguson and husband Doug Ferguson of Midland, Texas, Bo Baskin of Austin, Texas, Steve Baskin and wife Susie of Marble Falls, Texas; daughter-in-law Joy Surratt Baskin of Austin; grandchildren: AJ Ferguson of Washington D.C., Joanie Baskin Ferguson Thomas and husband Luke Thomas of Austin, Katie Baskin and fiancé Chris Shinaberry of New Orleans, Louisiana, Annabelle Baskin of New York City, New York, Mac Baskin of Austin, Texas, Wiley Baskin of Marble Falls, Texas, Liam Baskin of Marble Falls, Texas, Terrill Baskin of Marble Falls, Texas, Virginia Baskin of Marble Falls, Texas, Ben Baskin of Austin, Texas, Judge Baskin of Austin, Texas; Sister-in-Law Kathy Ragsdale of Hunt, Texas; nieces and nephews: Molly Baskin of Chicago, Illinois, Jamie Baskin of Austin, Texas, Bob Baskin of Richmond, Virginia, Stuart Baskin of Tyler, Texas, Beth Baskin Hill of Lake Jackson, Texas, Janie Ragsdale of Hunt, Texas, Julie Ragsdale of Los Angeles, California; Jeepers Ragsdale of Hunt, Texas.She is preceded in death by her husband Pat McKinney Baskin; parents Silas and Sadie Ragsdale; brother Silas Ragsdale, Jr.; son JJ Baskin.Services will be held at 2:00 pm Wednesday, November 13, 2019 at First Presbyterian Church, 800 West Texas Avenue, Midland, Texas.In lieu of flowers, memorials may be sent to Joan R. Baskin Endowed Scholarship, Texas Ex-Students Association, UT Austin Scholarships, 2110 San Jacinto, Austin, Texas 78712 or The First Presbyterian Church Deacon’s Fund, 800 West Texas Avenue, Midland, Texas 79701.Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory in Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.,