Tributes

Capt. Arthur Palmer Vick was born on Jan. 16, 1916, in Conroe, TX, the first born of William Arthur Vick and Laura Amelia Palmer. He first joined the army in 1935 and was stationed with he 77 th Field Artillery in Marfa, TX. After this first enlistment he worked in East Texas and then rejoined the army in 1942 at the start of U.S. involvement in WWII. Stationed in San Antonio, he met and married Dolores Johanna Spill. He served with Ft. Sam Houston Post Engineering until he went to Officer Candidate School and was commissioned as an officer. During WWII, he served with the 558 th Field Artillery in France and Germany. After the war, Captain Vick stayed to help displaced refugees. He returned to civilian life until the Korean War during which he served with the field artillery close to the 38 th Parallel. Before and after Korea, he was stationed at Fort Sill, OK. Then, it was on to Augsburg, Germany, and finally to Fort Ord/Hunter Liggett, CA, before retiring to San Antonio in 1960. He sold major appliances at Montgomery Ward until 1978. Perpetually active, he raised money for Optimist Club activities by helping sell Christmas trees for many years. His favorite hobby was gardening, supplying many relatives and friends with lots of tomatoes and okra. His main passion, though, was growing pecan trees and he had twenty-one pecan trees on his acre of land. He loved to fish and hunt and take his sons along for fun. Arthur Palmer Vick is best known for his big heart. He spent many years taking tender loving care of Dolores who passed away in 1989 with Parkinson's Disease. Returning to his Baptist heritage, he started going to church at Houston Terrace Baptist Church. There , he met and married Thelma Vanell Vick and took care of her since she developed Alzheimer's disease about seven years ago. Capt. Vick is survived by his wife, Vanell Vick, and four children from Dolores, William Vick and his wife, Maria Elena, Arthur Vick and his wife, Kathleen, Gloria Kotara and her husband, Walter, and Michael Vick and his wife, Kellyann. "Grandpa" or "Pico" is also survived by five grandchildren, Gail Albers, Valerie Vick, Grace Havens, Carmen Vick, and Kyle Vick, and four great-grandchildren, Derek, Ryan, Isaac, and Alanna.

Tributes

Arthur Palmer Vick

January 16, 1916 - January 5, 2012