Arthur Temple Jr.

A Thanksgiving service to celebrate the life of Arthur Temple Jr., 86, is scheduled for 2 p.m. Saturday, April 15, 2006, in the First United Methodist Church in Lufkin with the Reverend Douglas J. Tucker of St. Cyprian¹s Episcopal Church and the Reverend Carol Turner, senior pastor of First United Methodist Church officiating. Private interment will follow in the Temple Family Cemetery in Diboll. Mr. Temple died Wednesday, April 12, 2006, in a local hospital. He was born April 8, 1920, in Texarkana, Arkansas, to Katherine (Sage) and Arthur Temple. He was the grandson of T.L.L. Temple, founder of Southern Pine Lumber Company. Mr. Temple graduated from high school in Texarkana and attended the University of Texas in Austin. In 1939 he married Mary MacQuiston of Texarkana and had two children, Charlotte Anne Temple and Arthur "Buddy" Temple III. He served with the U.S. Navy during World War II. Mr. Temple¹s legendary business career began with the Southern Pine as a bookkeeper, and in 1948 he became manager of the Diboll operations. Subsequently, he became chief executive officer of the company, then known as Temple Industries, which became a public company listed on the New York Stock Exchange in 1969. In 1973 the company merged with Time Inc., and Mr. Temple was named a group vice president and a member of the board. He served as vice chairman from 1973 to 1978. He was instrumental in a major restructuring at Time, resulting in the forest products, paper, packaging and financial services operations being consolidated into a new public company. Temple-Inland, the new company, had its national headquarters in Diboll. Mr. Temple served as chairman of Temple-Inland from 1984 to 1991 and as chairman emeritus from 1991 to 1994. Mr. Temple served the industry in numerous capacities including chairing the National Forest Products Association and many other industry organizations. He also was prominent in the banking industry, having ventured with H. J. Shands Sr. to form Diboll State Bank and Pineland State Bank, now a part of First Bank and Trust East Texas. His keen interest in education resulted in serving as a member of the Texas State Board of Education, a regent at Lamar University and as trustee for Duke University. He was conferred honorary doctorates from Pepperdine University in Malibu, California and Stephen F. Austin State University in Nacogdoches, Texas, and the College of Forestry at Stephen F. Austin bears his name. Mr. Temple served on many community service boards including Hospice in the Pines, which he was instrumental in founding, the Salvation Army, and the Humane Society. Moreover, he was a dedicated conservationalist and was recognized for his endeavors. At Temple-Inland he set high standards for the perpetuation of the forests. As chairman of the board of the T.L.L. Temple Foundation from 1962 to 2000, Mr. Temple was able to do what he loved best, serve and support the people of East Texas. He was preceded in death by his second wife of thirty-eight years, Lottie Dean Temple, and an infant great-granddaughter, April Sage Grace. Survivors include his wife, Ann Shands Temple; son and daughter-in-law, Arthur "Buddy" Temple, III and Ellen Temple of Lufkin; daughter, Charlotte Temple of St. Helena, California; sister, Ann Allen of Austin; stepson, David Wimp of Eugene, Oregon; stepson and daughter-in-law, Jay and Susie Shands of Lufkin; stepdaughter and son-in-law, Becky and Kerry Getter of Bastrop; grandchildren, William "Spence" Spencer of Washington, D.C., Christopher Spencer, Arthur Spencer and Katherine Zelanzny, all of St. Helena, California, Whitney Temple Grace, John C. Hurst Jr. and Hannah Temple of Austin, and Susie Temple Duquette of Jackson Hole, Wyoming; step-grandchildren, Rob Shands, Annie Brown and Richie Getter of Austin, Hill Shands and Matt Shands, both of Lufkin; great-grandchildren, Lilly and Walter Duquette, Maggie Grace, Mary Ellen Sanders, Sam and Sarah Spencer, Charlotte and Anna Spencer, Tyler and Thomas Spencer; and brother-in-law, Bill Mayo of Dallas. Pallbearers will be John Booker, Ward Burke, Vernon Burkhalter, Joe Denman, Murphy George, Henry Goodrich, Kenny Jastrow, Phillip Leach, Wayne McDonald, Walter Stern and Charlie Wilson. Memorial contributions may be made to The History Center, 102 N. Temple Drive, Diboll, Texas 75941, Hospice in the Pines, 116 S. Raguet St., Lufkin, Texas 75904, or the Salvation Army Adult Day Care Center, 305 Shands Dr., Lufkin, Texas 75904. The family will receive friends from 4:30 to 6 p.m. today at the Lottie and Arthur Temple Civic Center, 601 Dennis, Diboll, Texas 75941. Carroway-Claybar Funeral Home, Lufkin, directors.