Johnny Wayne Mulloy

Johnny Wayne Mulloy, 91, passed away in Midland, TX, on Saturday, February 10, 2024. Johnny was heartbroken when the love of his life, Jane, passed away thirteen months ago and although he will be missed dearly, it is comforting that they are reunited in Heaven forever.

Johnny was born on April 26, 1932, in Lubbock, TX, the firstborn to William Doyle and Essie Palmer Mulloy.  The Great Depression and the ‘Dust Bowl’ caused the family to leave the South Plains and move to Erath County in central Texas. He grew up on a peanut farm and enjoyed living the country life, running through the woods barefoot with his .22 rifle. He went through school in Dublin, TX, graduating from Dublin High School in 1950. He lettered in football, basketball, and baseball and was voted the “Most Popular Boy” of his Senior class. Upon graduation, he did odd jobs around Dublin until he joined the United States Navy and spent the next four years sailing the Pacific on the USS Erben, a Fletcher-class destroyer during the Korean War. One of his first war experiences aboard the Erben was to escort the USS Missouri into Inchon Harbor to support MacArthur’s landing there. The Navy awakened Johnny, who had never traveled outside of Texas before, to the world and possibilities outside Erath County. Returning to Texas, he worked at Gifford Hill American and took engineering classes at Tarleton State in Stephenville. About this time, he asked a pretty girl from Dublin on a date at his mother’s request. We are thankful that Jane Ellis accepted this date. Their relationship soon blossomed, and the couple were married on May 18, 1957, at the First Baptist Church of Dublin. They promptly packed the car and moved to Lubbock, where an error in the registrar’s office at Texas Technological College put Johnny in the Petroleum Engineering Department, and not his desired choice of Civil Engineering. Jane worked and along with the G.I. Bill, put Johnny through school, and he graduated in August of 1960 from Texas Tech. They made lifelong friends at Tech that has bonded five families together for over 60 years. He was offered a job with Texaco Inc., and he and Jane moved to Lovington, NM, where he started his career in the oil business. They soon started their family and in November 1960 Craig was born, then came a transfer to Hobbs in 1961, followed by the birth of their second son Gary, in May of 1962. Being Good ‘Techsans’, both boys were born in Lubbock, Texas.

Their last move came in 1964 when Texaco transferred Johnny to Midland, TX. Midland would be their home for the next 59 years, where they raised their family and made lifelong friends. He held several positions after leaving Texaco in 1968, including stints at Coastal States, American Trading, and Foy Boyd Associates, Inc. He was a masterful drilling engineer known to be one of the best deep gas well drillers in the business, completing wells in some of the most formidable places in West Texas. In November 1983, during one of the worst downturns the oil business had seen, he and his partner Hudson Routh, along with their wives, formed J. W. Mulloy Associates, Inc. With his leadership, they weathered the ‘bust cycle’ of the 1980s and 40 years later the firm survives today, still under the family’s control. In 2006, he was recognized by his alma mater when he was inducted into the Academy of Petroleum Engineers at Texas Tech University.  During his career, he was a long-time member of the SPE, AADE, President of Ranchland Hills Country Club, member of the Petroleum Club of Midland and President of North Central Little League. He and Jane were long time members of Crestview Baptist Church, and he was a very committed and loving husband, father, father-in-law, grandfather, brother, brother-in-law, uncle and great grandfather, not to mention he was a ‘fair’ left-handed golfer. He was a family man until the very end and loved his family unconditionally and his favorite past times were going to his lake house and the annual Texas Tech Friends reunions now spanning five generations.  The family is so very proud of him and always honored to say that they are a ‘Mulloy’.

Johnny is preceded in death by his wife of 65 years, Jane Mulloy.  Also preceding him are his mother and father, William Doyle and Essie Palmer Mulloy, his daughter-in-law Paula Jo Mulloy, his sister Judy Sanders and husband Wilson, and nephew Johnny Mark Sanders. Johnny is survived by his sons Craig Mulloy and wife Bonney and Gary Mulloy and wife Melissa; his grandchildren, Abbey Evans and fiancé Dean Keating, Brooke Claybrook and husband Zach, Cody Mulloy and wife Emily, Kyle Mulloy, Landry Mulloy, Matt Davis and wife Mandolin, Marissa Hammers and husband Brandon, and his great-grandchildren Cooper, Cash, Crue, Dylan, Maverick, Maisyn, Benjamin and Elliott.

The family would like to thank several institutions and individuals for the wonderful care Johnny received during his final years. Thank you to the staff at Manor Park and Homecare Plus for their help and kindness. A special thank you to Elisa Gonzalez for the outstanding care Johnny received over the last 22 months. Elisa has been a God send.

Pallbearers will be Cody Mulloy, Kyle Mulloy, Cooper Evans, Cash Evans, Zach Claybrook and Brandon Hammers.

Visitation will be held Thursday, February 15, 2024 from 5:00PM – 7:00PM at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Midland.  Private burial Friday, February 16, 2024 at 11:00AM with memorial service to follow at Crestview Baptist Church at 1:00PM.  The family is hosting a reception at the Petroleum Club of Midland after the service from 2:00PM – 4:00PM.

In lieu of flowers, please make memorial donations to the Parkinson’s Foundation, Texas Tech University or Crestview Baptist Church.

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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