Warren F. Menicke
Warren F. Menicke
June 30, 1921 - December 5, 2006
Warren Menicke passed away on December 5th in Marble Falls, TX after a brief illness. He is survived by his wife Marlene; his children Joseph (Cash), Peter, Warren (Ducey), Alison (Lisa) and Richard; and numerous in-laws, grandchildren, and relatives.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to The Seton Fund, 1201 West 38th Street, Austin, TX 78705 (512) 324-1990
Warren will be remembered as a loyal and loving husband, father, and friend. He will also be remembered for the enthusiasm, energy, and determination to succeed that he applied to every facet of his remarkable life.
Warren was born in Greenwich, CT to Adele and Joseph Menicke. He was nicknamed 'Skee' after the 'Gasoline Alley' comic strip character that first appeared the day he was born. Warren grew up in Port Chester, NY. As an only child, he was very close to his extended family of aunts, uncles, and cousins, and spent many happy times with them.
He attended high school in Port Chester, where he excelled in academics and sports. In high school, he also began a relationship with the woman, Vivian Stafford, who would become his first wife.
After high school, Warren enrolled in MIT to study engineering. WWII, however, interrupted his studies. He served in the US Army in the European theater as part of an artillery unit, performing the complex trajectory calculations needed to accurately deliver ordinance on target.
After his honorable discharge, he and Vivian were married, and he resumed his studies, this time at New York University, where he earned Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Mechanical and Administrative Engineering. Vivian and he lived in New York City.
While still at NYU, Warren met Richard Kerr. Dick convinced Warren to join him at what is now Saudi Aramco to help solve some challenges exploring for oil in Saudi Arabia. They traveled to Saudi Arabia numerous times, developing what would be a lifelong friendship along the way; as evidence, Warren's youngest son was named in Dick's honor. One of Dick and Warren's early achievements was the invention of the sand tire, inspired by observing how camels were able to easily traverse soft Arabian desert sands.
Warren and Vivian moved from New York City to suburban Rye, NY to begin their own family and be close to family in Rye and Port Chester, important since Warren was overseas for long periods. Sons Joseph, Peter, and Warren were born during this period.
When son Warren was 1, Warren was transferred to Dhahran, Saudi Arabia. He, Vivian and the 3 boys left New York to begin what would be for Warren a stay in Saudi Arabia spanning over 20 years. Daughter Alison and son Richard were born in Dhahran.
Warren's job responsibilities during this period were primarily engineering projects. A notable accomplishment was his leadership in the design and construction of Aramco's first two mobile offshore drilling platforms. Warren then transitioned to the Community Maintenance organization, the group responsible for construction and upkeep of all aspects of Aramco's 3 housing compounds, ultimately becoming the organization's leader.
Warren's indulged his love of golf while in Dhahran. He played religiously, was a fixture in league competitions, and served in leadership positions with the Rolling Hills Country Club organization. Warren took pride in his contribution to the design and construction of a new Rolling Hills course inside the Dhahran compound. More importantly, he patiently taught Vivian and the children to enjoy the game for themselves.
Other hobbies included building model airplanes and daily games of water volleyball at the community pool. As with golf, these became family activities.
Any other free time was spent supporting his children in their activities such as scouting, and socializing with neighbors and close friends. Particularly strong friendships were formed with the other families on the block: the Randalls, Lameiers, and De St Croix's. Block gatherings were frequent. In winter, Warren and Vivian hosted a nightly bonfire, using scrap lumber scavenged by his maintenance crews.
Warren also loved good food; he insisted on cooking outdoors on the BBQ grill at least 3 times a week. As with his hobbies, his skills at the grill were passed on to his children.
When Vivian was diagnosed with cancer, the family temporarily transferred back to New York so she could receive treatment at Sloan-Kettering. Sadly, treatment was to no avail, and she died at age 53. After her death, Warren and the children relocated to Houston, TX, where he worked at Aramco's US headquarters.
While in Houston, Warren met his second wife, Marlene Heleski. After they married, Marlene and Warren returned to Dhahran, where they remained until his retirement. In all, Warren's career with Aramco spanned 31 years.
Living overseas afforded opportunities for travel, and Warren gladly capitalized on these. Biannual repatriations to the US usually meant travel through Europe on the way; London and Amsterdam were two favorite destinations. Warren also took numerous business trips to Aramco's overseas headquarters in the Hague, Netherlands. Many short vacations were spent in another favorite place: Beirut, Lebanon. After Marlene and Warren returned to Dhahran, they took even more adventurous trips, such as an African safari and a visit to Tibet and the Himalayas. Accounts of these trips, as well as other news, were provided in long, wonderfully detailed letters written to his children stateside.
Marlene and Warren, now retired, found a location on Lake LBJ outside Marble Falls, TX to put down retirement roots. Here, Warren continued to indulge his passion for golf, usually playing 4 or more times a week at the Blue Lake Country Club, where he and Marlene were members. They also enjoyed many social occasions at the club.
In Marble Falls, Warren also rekindled his love for a childhood activity - boating and sailing. Many enjoyable times were spent on the lake with Marlene, boating, waterskiing, and swimming. The children, now grown, would also partake in the fun when they visited. Warren loved giving boat tours of the lake to all his visitors.
Marlene and Warren continued to travel, albeit on a reduced scale, after retirement. They attended a number of Aramco annuitant reunions around the country, and also spent time at a property they had purchased in Santa Fe, NM.
Warren leaves a unique legacy of professional accomplishment, service to his country, and unwavering support for those he knew and loved. The world was better off for him, and he will be missed.