Robert Lee Cargill

1929 - 2015

Robert Lee Cargill, 85, went home to be with his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Saturday, April 4, 2015. Funeral: 1 p.m. Thursday at Arborlawn United Methodist Church. Interment: Greenwood Memorial Park. Visitation: 5 to 7 p.m. Wednesday at Thompson's Harveson & Cole. Memorials: In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial gifts be made to the music program of Arborlawn United Methodist Church in honor of Tom Stoker, minister of music. Bob was born June 15, 1929, near Cushing, Okla., son of the late Conward and Bonnie Cargill. He married Sara Lou Young, also from Cushing, and they were partners in a storybook adventure of ministry, business, travel and philanthropy for nearly 70 years. He started a Baptist church in Blackburn, Okla., as an 18-year-old college student and served as their pastor for 3 1/2 years. He earned a bachelor of arts degree from Oklahoma Baptist University and a master of divinity degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. For over 20 years he was pastor of five churches in Oklahoma, Kansas, and Texas. In 1967, he initiated the development program for Oklahoma Baptist University and served as their director of development. In 1972, he became vice president of financial resources for the Radio and Television Commission of the Southern Baptist Convention, based in Fort Worth. In 1976, he founded Cargill Associates of Fort Worth and raised money for churches, universities, charities and various non-profit institutions throughout the United States and abroad. He was awarded doctor of law degrees from Georgetown College and Oklahoma Baptist University. He was a pilot, a chaplain in the U.S. Army Reserve, a college English teacher, an author and a hunting, fishing and golf enthusiast. Dr. and Mrs. Cargill gave generously to a variety of Christian causes and charitable organizations. They provided the funds to endow the Robert and Sara Lou Cargill Chair of Business at Oklahoma Baptist University, and the Sara Lou and Bob Cargill Advancement Center is named for them. He was preceded in death by his brother, David Cargill; his son, Howard Wesley Cargill; and his granddaughter, Bonnie Ruth Lee. Survivors: His wife of 66 years, Sara Lou; a son, Stephen Cargill, and his wife, Ramona, of Fort Worth; a daughter, Sara Beth Lee, and her husband, John, of Little Rock, Ark.; a daughter-in-law, Ginger Cargill of Eastvale, Calif.; a sister, Helen Lindiff and her husband, Leroy; 12 grandchildren, Christopher Cargill, Ryan Cargill and his wife, Sidney, Ben Cargill and his wife, Staci, Amy Lee Hartzler and her husband, Josh, James Cargill and his wife, Jerri, Sara Cargill Oaks and her husband, Ryan, Carrie Lee, Anna Cargill, Rebecca Cargill, Lori Lee Bulloch and husband, Dylan, John Cargill and Robert Lee; and six great-grandchildren, Ryder Cargill, Smith Cargill, Margaret Cargill, Lily Oaks, Jack Hartzler and Indiana Cargill.