Arthur Peabody Jr.

1943 - 2025

Arthur Peabody, Jr.
04/10/1943 - 12/24/2024
Beloved Brother and Friend to Many
Arthur William Peabody Jr. was born in Glen Cove, New York, on April 10, 1943, to Margaret B. Peabody and Arthur W. Peabody. His birth was the first to be announced in the Stars and Stripes Newspaper for a child born to an overseas serviceman during World War II. Arthur (Art) passed away peacefully at home on December 24, 2024, following a cerebrovascular stroke.
Art spent his first 2.5 years with his mother and her parents in Glen Cove, New York. When his father returned from war, Art and his parents moved to Holden, Massachusetts, where he spent his childhood. A brother and sister completed the family. Art graduated from Duke University in 1965 with a BA in Political Science. He remained a loyal supporter of Duke's History Department and was also an avid fan of Duke basketball throughout his adult life! After Duke, Art earned an MBA degree from the Tuck School of Business at Dartmouth College in 1967.
Upon graduation, Art worked at W. R. Grace & Co. in New York City where he met his future wife, Betty Sue Hamner, at the Finance Department water cooler. They married in June of 1970 and had a commuter marriage for over 15 years, while both pursued careers in separate states. Art worked as a financial analyst for Pillsbury Company in Minneapolis Minnesota before moving to New Jersey where he worked with Allied Corporation. From Allied, Art moved to Houston to begin his multi-year career with Union Texas Petroleum. Art was a senior executive on the Management Committee at UTP which held oil and gas interests in many parts of the world including the United Kingdom sector of the North Sea, Indonesia, Pakistan, Alaska,... and closer to home, the Gulf of Mexico and Louisiana. It also owned a gas processing and petrochemical business and operated a plant in Geismar, Louisiana which produced ethylene.
One of the core values of Union Texas Petroleum was respect for every employee. The Management Committee executives at Union Texas Petroleum took care to offer competitive compensation to the company's employees and to strive to take good care of their employees during the tumultuous times of the oil and gas industry during the eighties and nineties.
Art had a really good career at Union Texas Petroleum. He was well respected by everyone in the company and stayed in touch with several fellow employees after retirement.
Spending time with family and friends was very important to Art. On two occasions he organized family reunions on Fire Island, NY where his family had spent many happy vacations during his childhood years. Our families enjoyed holidays with Art and Betty Sue in their Houston home and reunions in Woodland Park, Colorado. Three lucky dogs spent their lives with Art and Betty Sue as happy recipients of unconditional love, care, and devotion. As dog lovers, Art and Betty Sue sponsored the Spot Peabody Dog and Puppy Lodge, and the Ranger Peabody Dog Park, both at the Houston SPCA. The world is a better place for Art's presence, his contributions and his friendships.
As World War II Naval History buffs, Art and his friend Walt Henry shared many happy hours using scale model ships and maps to devise military strategies. He assembled countless model ships as a youngster and later became a member of the Steamship Historical Society of America.
Art and Betty Sue also enjoyed traveling to National Parks that included Grand Teton, Yellowstone, and Rocky Mountain National Parks.
Art is survived by his brother, Bob Peabody, sister-in-law Diane Peabody, sister Nancy von Burske, sister-in- law Shirley Roxburgh and brother-in-law Charlie Roxburgh, cousins, nephews, nieces, grand nephews, and a grandniece.
A memorial service for Arthur will be held Sunday, February 2, 2025 at 2:00 PM at St. Paul's United Methodist Church, 5501 Main Street, Houston, Texas 77004.

Donations in Art's memory may be made to:
-Steamship Historical Society of America
-Houston SPCA