Michael S. Sargent

1946 - 2025

Michael Sherman Sargent (79) went to meet Jesus on the morning of Friday, December 5th, 2025, in Austin, Texas, after a battle with dementia. Michael was born on November 6th, 1946, to Manfred Sherman Sargent and Bessie Jane Durham Sargent in Thermopolis, Wyoming, with a pan of Texas soil under the bed in the delivery room. His parents, both from long-time Texas families, knew one another before World War II. Bessie was living in Thermopolis with her sister during the war, and as soon as Manfred was released from the Marine Corps, he headed to Wyoming to marry her. After Michael was born, they didn't waste any time getting back to Texas. The Sargents moved to Arlington and later to Irving, where Michael's two sisters, Clellene Jane and Cecilia Kay, were born.

Although his Mama and Daddy always called him Michael, he was known as Mike to most. Mike attended Irving High School, where he played football. In his junior year he was awarded First Team All-District, First Team All-Greater Dallas, and Honorable Mention All-American in the Six State Area. He met Patricia "Pat" Louise Box in high school, where a lifetime love began, and the two were later married. Their daughter, Patti Michele, was born in August of 1964, and the new family moved to Kilgore, Texas, where Mike continued his football career at Kilgore Junior College. In both his freshman and sophomore years at Kilgore, Mike was awarded First Team All-Conference. In 1966, at the Shrine Bowl in Savannah, Georgia, the team won the Junior College National Championship.

Following the National Championship season, Mike was offered scholarships to continue playing football at the University of Miami and the University of Oklahoma. Late that spring, Mike had his family packed up to move to Miami when his Kilgore coach intercepted him in the driveway. Because of the NJCAA Championship, his coach and several teammates had been recruited to Wichita State University, and his coach convinced Mike to join them in Kansas instead.

After Wichita, they moved back to Irving, and in 1971 Mike took a job with Humble Oil, which later became ExxonMobil. Over the next few years, the family moved to San Antonio and then to Brownsville, Texas. In July of 1977, Mike and Pat's son, Kyle Sherman, was born in Brownsville, and within a few months, the family moved back to San Antonio. In 1980, Mike and Pat moved to Austin for Mike to manage the Austin terminal. Throughout his career with ExxonMobil, Mike held positions of fuel transport driver, terminal supervisor, terminal superintendent, and construction consultant and served in an assignment in Alaska, as well as in numerous other capacities. As Mike continued to be transferred throughout Texas, Pat made it clear that it was Mike who was being transferred and not her and their kids, and they decided at that time to make Austin their home. Mike graciously sacrificed time away from his family by buying a travel trailer to live in during the week and traveling home to be with his family on the weekends. Toward the end of his career with Exxon, he ended up back in San Antonio, making the daily commute between Austin and San Antonio. Upon retirement in 2006, his employer praised Mike for his relentless dedication and flawless work ethic.

Mike was a loving husband, a hardworking man, and a dedicated father, employee, and friend. He showed his love by providing well for his family throughout the years. In his retirement, Mike enjoyed golf, fishing, bird hunting, traveling with Pat and their friends and family on multiple trips, including Alaska and Europe, and attending numerous sporting events and dance recitals for his grandchildren. Mike loved listening to classic country music and was always up for a loop around the dance floor. In 2014, Mike was inducted into the Kilgore Junior College Hall of Fame for his participation with the 1966 Junior College National Championship football team.

Mike is preceded in death by his parents, Manfred and Bessie Sargent; in-laws Cecil and Helen Box; sister-in-law Debbie Box; and Mike & Pat's longtime friend, Tanya Pierce Toney.

Mike is survived by his high school sweetheart and wife of 61 years, Patricia Box Sargent; his children, Patti Sargent-Neely and her husband, John, and Kyle Sargent and his wife, Amanda "Mandy"; his grandchildren, Courtney Worrell Merchant, daughter of Patti, and her husband, Donald; Landry Neely, son of John, and his wife, Ashley; Shane Neely, son of Patti and John; and Addison Sargent and Aaron Sargent, children of Kyle and Mandy; his great-grandchildren, Madison, McKenzie, and Macie Merchant, daughters of Courtney and Donald; his sisters, Clellene Gammill and her husband, Ben, and Kay Fulbright and her husband, Darryl; his brother-in-law, Michael Box, and his wife, Susan; as well as numerous nieces, nephews, cousins, and friends, including childhood friends Robert Coulter and Dick Lowry.

A private family service and burial will be held December 18, 2025, and a Celebration of Life will be announced after the holidays. The family would like to express their deepest appreciation for the thoughts and prayers of all their family and friends and for the special care from Blanca Trevino and numerous other caregivers who were there for both Mike and Pat over the past few years.

If desired, memorial contributions may be made to Kilgore College in honor of Mike and his longtime friends from the 1966 National Championship Team, either online at https://giving.kilgore.edu/donate/ (Select Gift Designation: 1966 National Champions Scholarship), or by mail to Kilgore College Foundation and Scholarship, 110 Broadway, Kilgore, TX, 75662-3204 (payable to Kilgore College Foundation; memo: 1966 National Championship Scholarship in honor of Mike Sargent). Contributions may also be made in support of the United States Marine Corps by donating to Patriots' Hall Dripping Springs, either online at https://patriotshall.org/how-to-help/donate/ (comment: In memory of Mike Sargent) or by mail to Patriots' Hall of Dripping Springs, 100 Commons Road Ste. 7 #377, Dripping Springs, TX 78620 (memo: In memory of Mike Sargent).