Stephen White McDaniel

STEPHEN WHITE MCDANIEL
"A Renaissance Man"
Stephen White McDaniel, "Papa Bear" to his grandson, was born in Alexandria, Louisiana to Robert Cecil McDaniel and Loye Winona White McDaniel on July 22, 1944 while his father was stationed with the Army at Camp Claiborne. While born in LA, Stephen's parents had deep roots in Sabine County, Texas dating back to the 1850s, and Stephen lived in this community off and on throughout his childhood. To begin his legal career, Stephen and his wife, Marcia, moved with their 3 year-old son, Steve, to Longview, TX in 1973 making this their forever home. Stephen loved Longview and East Texas, and his community involvement spanned business, church, education and the arts (both performing and visual). Stephen, age 80, passed away on December 2, 2024 in Longview, TX surrounded by loved-ones.
Growing-up in an Army family, Stephen experienced different countries and cultures from a young age which fueled a life-time love of travel and all types of art, architecture, history and gardening. At the age of 3, he sailed with his mom from San Francisco to Okinawa aboard the U.S. Army Transport, General W.G. Haan, to join his father stationed at the Headquarters of the Ryukyus Command, Army Operation. They lived in a Quonset on a hillside of the island. In December 1948, his family left Okinawa aboard the ship, Simon B. Buckner, Jr., relocating to Fourth Army Headquarters, Fort Sam Houston, TX. After 3 years at Fort Sam Houston, Stephen's father was reassigned to the Eniwetok Atoll, Marshall Islands, South Pacific which was used for the testing of the first hydrogen bomb explosion. During this time, Stephen returned with his mom to Sabine County and to the Gravel Hill and Six Mile communities of Hemphill, TX.
In 1952, Stephen's father was assigned to the Pentagon in Washington, D.C. They lived in military housing on the South Post of Fort Myer which is part of Arlington National Cemetery. After 3 years in Washington, Stephen's father took a position in the Joint Headquarters of the Caribbean Command, Quarry Heights, Canal Zone. Panama was an adventure for Stephen, and he loved to tell stories of swimming and fishing in the ocean, taking a submarine ride off the coast and growing-up with sloths in the backyard. During this time, he accepted Christ and was baptized at Balboa Heights Baptist Church of Panama.
Stephen returned to Sabine County for his last year of high school and become known as a talented football player. He graduated from Hemphill High School in 1962. He attended Baylor University and majored in English and Psychology. He received his Juris Doctorate from Baylor Law School in 1969. It was during these years that he met his beloved wife of over 55 years, Marcia Sue Burlison. She was a new professor in the Physical Education Department at Baylor. Stephen and Marcia married on March 22, 1969. After law school, Stephen joined the Federal Bureau of Investigation as a Special Agent under J. Edgar Hoover and trained a Quantico. His first assignment was in Milwaukie, WI where their first child was born, Stephen White McDaniel II. After a year, he was transferred to the San Francisco office where they lived for 3 years.
After 4 years in the FBI and a desire to practice law, Stephen came to Longview in 1973 to join the law firm of Sharp, Ward and Ross. In 1975, Stephen and Marcia welcomed a daughter, Erin Colleen McDaniel.
In 1983, wanting to make a change in property title law and record-keeping, which had not changed in more than a century, Stephen ventured into building his own database for Gregg County. U.S. Title Company, Inc. was born in 1984. Additionally, there were some pre-packaged title software programs, but Stephen felt there was a better way. With the help of his long-time friend, and computer expert, Leonard Knipe, a program was written specifically for U.S. Title. As word spread of the success and ease of this new program, there were requests from others across the state to use the same software program. Stephen formed a company to build title plants for others in Texas. Hamp Smead, a Longview attorney, joined Stephen to expand the business, and in February opened a data entry company on the island of Barbados. Over time, Stephen expanded U.S. Title and opened offices in Gilmer, Henderson, Marshall and Hemphill.
Stephen loved the community of Longview and considered it a privilege to serve East Texas. He served on several Boards of Directors, including Longview Museum of Fine Arts, Neal McCoy's East Texas Angel Network, White Oak State Bank, First Bank Shares of Texas, Longfellows and Trinity School of Texas. He also served as President of the Board of the Longview Museum of Fine Arts and as Vice President of Parentline which evolved into Teen Court. Additionally, he was on the Board of Directors of the East Texas Regional Airport Board during the time of the Challenger explosion with E.T.R.A. becoming the national staging area for its recoveries. Further, he was a Deacon and Sunday School Teacher of Young Adults at the First Baptist Church of Longview.
In 1990, Stephen's son, Steve, age 20, died in a car wreck with two of his dear friends. Steve had pledged the Kappa Sigma fraternity at Texas Christian University. The young men of Kappa Sigma, many of which were from Longview, formed The Stephen McDaniel Memorial Scholarship Fund. Stephen looked forward each year to hosting an annual wild game dinner in Fort Worth often with his own game, as well as, participating in skeet shoot competitions with the Kappa Sigs. He loved these men and his relationships with them continue to this day.
Stephen was known for his wise counsel, compassion for others, tender heartedness, a teasing sense of humor and a huge smile with a mischievous glint in his eyes. In addition to being an attorney, businessman and entrepreneur, he was an avid reader, artist, outdoorsman and gardener. Most evenings, he could be found in his favorite chair with numerous books by his side and whittling on wax or wood or polishing metal that he had just melted and poured for his jewelry designs. His gardening passion was roses which were proudly displayed around his home and U.S. Title office. Stephen loved his Lord and Savior and considered it an honor to ministry to young adults for over 30 years. His greatest joys were his children, Steve and Erin, and his grandson, Stephen who was born in 2015. He had 9 precious years getting to watch his grandson grow, learn and experience life. He loved every minute.
Stephen's favorite sport was quail hunting, especially if his best dog, Belle, was by his side with pheasant hunting being a close second. His other passion was big sheep hunting, and he loved the physical challenges of the hunt and being in the beautiful nature surrounding him. His most exciting sheep hunts were for Dall Sheep in the Northwest Territory and Argalis in Mongolia.
Stephen is survived by his wife Marcia Sue Burlison McDaniel, their daughter Erin Colleen McDaniel Roach, son-in-law Russell Lee Roach and grandson Robert "Stephen" McDaniel Roach of Longview, TX. He is also survived by his sister-in-law Patricia Tweeten McDaniel and nephew Harper Longstreet McDaniel of Houston, TX, his sister-in-law Theronne Rue Burlison Singletary and brother-in-law Victor "Allen" Singletary of Knoxville, TN, and nephew Bradley Allen Singletary, his wife Gina Janeway Singletary and their son Evan Sloan Singletary of Maynardville, TN. He was predeceased by his parents, Robert Cecil McDaniel and Loye Winona White McDaniel of Hemphill, TX, his son Stephen White McDaniel II of Longview, TX, and his brother Dwight Patrick McDaniel of Hemphill, TX.
The Pallbearers are Jim Barron, Herman Bell, Frank Chaney, Bill Chappell, Jim Heath, Harold Johnson, Charles Newkirk, Bill Reagan, Rogers Pope, John Ross, Carroll Sherman, Russell Welch, and Charles Rader.
The family would like to thank Stephen's caregiver of 5 years, Sherry Jones, for her tireless, faithfulness and ever-present care of Stephen and great love for him and his family. She blessed the McDaniel Family beyond what words can ever describe.
We would also like to thank Isabel Cabrera, Ernestina and Angel Monsivais, Brianna Solis, Juan Vaca, and Kristin White for their love and care of Stephen and his family through the years.
If you wish, memorials may be sent to Buckner, 1014 S. High Street, Longview, TX 75602, the Longview Museum of Fine Arts, P.O. Box 3484, Longview, TX 75606, or to The Stephen McDaniel Memorial Fund, c/o Kyle Knutson, 4455 Camp Bowie Blvd #114-181, Fort Worth, TX 76107.
Visitation will be held at Rader Funeral Home on Tuesday, December 10, 2024, from 5:00pm - 7:00pm.
The funeral will be held at First Baptist Church of Longview on Wednesday, December 11, 2024, at 1:00pm. Starting at 12:30 special music with organ, piano and a string quartet will play for everyone prior to the service. A reception will follow the funeral at the Home of Erin and Russell Roach.