Benjamin Burkett, II

Benjamin Clinton Burkett II, a long time Dallas resident, died January 3rd in Midland Memorial Hospital. He was 72.Ben was intrumental in the success of Dallas-based Lear Petroleum. He joined the company in 1968 as its Chief Financial Officer (and first employee) and guided it through its first public stock offering in 1974, a series of debenture offerings, and its eventual listing on the New York Stock Exchange. He retired from the company in 1980.A native of Amarillo, Ben graduated from the University of Texas at Austin with a degree in finance and joined the investment banking firm of Dominick and Dominick in New York City as an oil and gas analyst. While in New York, he completed his masters degree studies at New York University.Ben returned to Amarillo in 1960 and joined Shamrock Oil and Gas Corporation's finance department. While there, he developed a plan to acquire the Hugoton Production Company, which owned a substantial portion of the Hugoton gas field in southwestern Kansas, then the nation's largest natural gas field. The company rejected the plan. Ben left Shamrock and joined Mesa Petroleum as the assistant to President T. Boone Pickens. While at Mesa, Ben convinced Mr. Pickens to attempt the acquisition of Hugoton Production, although Mesa was the smaller of the two companies. In what was one of the earliest hostile tender offers in the nation, Mesa managed to acquire Hugoton.After his retirement from Lear, Ben intended to pursue his passion of golf at Royal Oaks Country Club. A former scratch golfer, Ben discovered that his passion had cooled. So he went back to work consulting with investment banking firms and engaging in merger and acquisition work for public and private companies.While in his late fifties and early sixties, Ben's health began to fail and, in 2001 at the age of 64, he had a successful heart transplant at Medical City Dallas. In another heart-related event, Ben re-met his former sweetheart Carole Warren and they were married in October 2001. With that marriage, he moved to Midland where he made many wonderful friends.Ben was predeceased by his parents, Ben C. Burkett, Sr and Ione Braudt Burkett of Amarillo, and his eldest son, Ben C. Burkett III. He is survived by his wife Carole Warren Burkett, three sons, Mike and David of Dallas, and Bob of Florida, and his brother, Dr. Robert Burkett of Ft. Worth.A memorial service for Ben will be held at 2 PM, Tuesday, Janary 6, at the First Presbyterian Church of Midland. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Midland Memorial Hospital for the refurbishing of the ICU waiting room, 2200 W. Illiniois Ave, Midland, Texas 79701; Hospice of Midland, PO Box 2621, Midland, Texas 79702; or to First Presbyterian Church Family Life Center, 800 W. Texas, Midland, Texas, 79701Arrangements under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home of Midland. Online condolences can be made at: www.npwelch.com,