WILLIAM SKIDMORE SHELTON

1949 - 2014

SHELTON, William Skidmore A native son of Texas, passed away on May 31, 2014 after a brief battle with cancer. Will was born to William Ernest Shelton and Betty Barnard Shelton on January 29, 1949, in San Antonio, Texas, on the coldest day in recorded history. As a child of a career Air Force officer he grew up experiencing all the world had to offer both at home and abroad. Will was a true Renaissance man in every sense of the word. He was a gifted writer, avid reader, poet, master woodworker, flight attendant, conservationist, rancher, and strategic planner. He had a deep appreciation for music, a sharp wit and a jocular sense of humor. True to his Texas roots, he was a consummate pool and poker player. He was a true gourmand and he loved his Cuban cigars and Johnnie Walker Blue. He was a man of faith and ethics, honor and justice, a devoted friend and dedicated to his fellow man. He was curious by nature, a perfectionist in all things and respected life. Will attended Yale University as an undergraduate and received his BA from the University of Texas at Arlington and later earned his MBA from Cox School of Business at Southern Methodist University in Dallas, Texas. He was also a certified CPA. In 1987, he started his corporate career working for Southwest Airlines in their executive offices. After leaving Southwest, he joined Booz Allen Hamilton as a management consultant in their Dallas, Texas office. He then went to work for Anderson Consulting to later attain partnership. After working as a senior business executive for various companies and industries, he joined Micah Technology Services as Partner of their IT Strategy division. After consulting with Arbella Insurance Company in Quincy, Massachusetts in 2001, he was asked to assume the role of Chief Information Officer which he was later promoted to Chief Operating Officer and President of the Arbella Service Company. He retired from Arbella in 2007 to his ranch in Johnson City, Texas. He was an enthusiastic participant in the community of Johnson City serving on the Blanco County Tax Appraisal District Board and as a member of the First United Methodist Church, where he took an active role in the planning and completion of its renovation. Will loved his ranch and he was a good steward of the land. He applied his knowledge of conservation and wildlife management to his ranch. His enthusiasm for the great outdoors also included a love of hunting, fishing, bird-watching, and boating. On April 24, 2010, he married Angela Rae Lane in a garden ceremony at the McNay Art Museum in San Antonio, Texas. They gave birth to a baby girl, Harper Lane Shelton on August 9, 2012. He was a devoted husband and a proud father. He had many friends with whom he shared life-long relationships. He will be genuinely missed by all of those who knew him and shared his life. He was survived by his mother, Betty Shelton Mills of San Antonio, Texas; his wife and daughter, Angela Lane Shelton and Harper Lane Shelton of Johns Island, South Carolina; and his two sisters, Pamela Stewart of Santa Fe, New Mexico and Mary Thomajan, of Cuenca, Ecuador. A memorial service will be held on Friday, June 13th at 10:00am at the First United Methodist Church in Johnson City, Texas followed by a reception at the OBannon Ranch in Johnson City, Texas.