Santos Rodriguez, a pastor and a mentor to other ministers, died Oct. 15. He was 68. He was born to Santos Castillo and Maria Rodriguez on July 30, 1954. He married Yolanda Godsey in September 1979. He was mentored in his life and ministry by her parents, Glen and Mary Godsey. Santos and Yolanda Rodriguez had no children of their own, but they nurtured and mentored several children in their circle of family and friends. Rodriguez earned both a bachelor’s degree in religion and a master’s degree in Christian ministry from Wayland Baptist University. His pastorates included Iglesia Bautista Date Street in Plainview and Primera Iglesia Bautista in Petersburg. He also was involved in the Compañerismo de los Planos and served on the board of Caprock Plains Baptist Association. He was preceded in death by his wife, Yolanda Godsey Rodriguez. He is survived by a brother, Jesus Carranza, and two sisters, Marta Carranza and Florencia Rodriguez.

Nathan Johnson Porter of Waco, former home missionary, pastor and advocate for the poor, died Oct. 3. He was 90. He was born July 22, 1932, in Campinas, Brazil, to missionaries Paul and Margaret Porter. He graduated from Baylor University and later completed a master’s degree and doctorate at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. In 1965, Porter helped found the Southern Baptist Convention’s US-2 program, in which students and young adults served alongside career missionaries in the United States for two years. He worked for decades with the SBC Home Mission Board in its Christian Social Ministries Department. He also was pastor of a mission congregation in Tulsa, Okla., pastor of First Baptist Church in Arkadelphia, Ark., and a consultant with the Baptist General Convention of Texas and its Christian Life Commission. Porter was a strong voice for the poor and vulnerable. He was known for his commitment to social justice and spent his life as an advocate for equality for all people. He married Francis Booth on Aug. 23, 1952. She preceded him in death in 2006. He is survived by son Joel Porter and wife Janet of Waco; daughter Leslie Porter Smith of Waco; daughter Becca Hollaway and husband Steven of Baltimore, Md.; five grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. The family also includes adopted grandchildren Andrea McQuistion Han and Suzi McQuistion Mao. Memorial gifts may be made to Calvary Baptist Church, 1001 N 18th-A Street, Waco TX 76707.

Robert “Bob” Glynn Russell, longtime coordinator of technical services for the Baptist General Convention of Texas, died September 21 in hospice care in Dallas. He was 91. He was born May 4, 1931, to Jesse Anderson and Myrtle Edna Russell in Rocky, Okla. He lived in Irving 54 years. Russell served 28 years in the BGCT communications office, from November 1968 to January 1997. He received numerous awards for outstanding workmanship and for volunteer service. He was preceded in death by his wife Frances and siblings Sam, Clova and L.A. He is survived by son David and his wife Sherry of Irving; son Steve Russell of Bremond; Patricia Russell of Bryan; five grandchildren; one great-grandson; and a brother, Jesse Anderson Jr. of Rowlett. Graveside services with honors will be scheduled later at Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Texas Baptist Men.

Ken Starr, the former independent counsel in the Clinton administration Whitewater investigation who later became president and chancellor of Baylor University, died Sept. 13 at age 76.

Starr, former U.S. Solicitor General and a U.S. circuit court judge, died at Baylor St. Luke’s Medical Center in Houston due to complications from surgery, a statement from his family said.

Starr was elected president of Baylor University in February 2010, and he concurrently held the title of university chancellor beginning in November 2013.

Baylor’s board of regents removed Starr as president in May 2016, citing the university’s “fundamental failure” to handle sexual violence complaints appropriately under his leadership. He soon resigned as chancellor and later stepped down as a professor at the Baylor Law School.

However, for six years, Starr oversaw significant expansion at Baylor, including construction of McLane Stadium, the Hart Track and Field Stadium, the Paul Foster Campus for Business and Innovation and Elliston Chapel, along with renovation of three residence halls.

He also led in fundraising for the university, beginning with his first major project—completing ahead of schedule the $100 million President’s Scholarship Initiative.

During Starr’s time as president, Baylor also took significant steps toward becoming a top-tier research university, expanding the Baylor Research and Innovation Collaborative and establishing the Robbins College of Health and Human Sciences.

Praised for public service and scholarship

“Judge Starr had a profound impact on Baylor University, leading a collaborative visioning process to develop the Pro Futuris strategic vision in 2012 that placed Baylor on the path to where we are today as a Christian Research 1 institution,” President Linda Livingstone said.

“Judge Starr was a dedicated public servant and ardent supporter of religious freedom that allows faith-based institutions such as Baylor to flourish,” Livingstone said.

Noting she and Starr served together as deans at Pepperdine University, she added, “I appreciated him as a Constitutional law scholar and a fellow academician who believed in the transformative power of higher education.”

Livingstone expressed condolences on behalf of the university and the Baylor Family to Alice Starr and the rest of Starr’s family.

“May God’s peace and comfort surround them and give them strength now, and in the days to come,” she said.

Tommye Lou Davis, Starr’s chief of staff at Baylor, spoke of the “great honor” to serve alongside him.

“His warm, inclusive personality brought the campus uniquely together. He was deeply loved by students, highly respected by faculty and staff, and greatly admired by alumni and the broader Baylor family,” Davis said.

“Judge Starr’s brilliant mind, affable personality and tireless efforts on behalf of the university have left an indelible mark on all of us fortunate enough to have worked with him. I will always be grateful for his friendship, dynamic leadership and selfless service to Baylor University.”

Kenneth Winston Starr was born July 21, 1946, to William D. and Vannie Trimble Starr, and he grew up in San Antonio.

He earned his undergraduate degree from George Washington University, a master’s degree in political science from Brown University, and his Juris Doctor degree from Duke University.

Starr argued 36 cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, including 25 as U.S. Solicitor General from 1989 to 1993. He was U.S. Circuit Judge for the District of Columbia Circuit from 1983 to 1989.

From 1989 to 1993, he was the independent counsel who led an investigation into the Whitewater real estate investments of President Bill Clinton. The inquiry expanded into other areas, including suspected perjury by Clinton regarding his relationship with Monica Lewinsky.

The allegation in the Starr Report that Clinton lied about the sexual relationship with Lewinsky in a sworn deposition led to Clinton’s impeachment.

After Starr left Baylor University, he worked with the Lanier Law Firm and was a commentator for Fox News.

Starr is survived by his wife of 52 years, Alice; son Randall P. Starr and wife Melina; daughter Carolyn Doolittle and husband Cameron; daughter Cynthia Roemer and husband Justin; nine grandchildren; a sister, Billie Jeayne Reynolds; and a brother, Jerry Starr.

Lori Fogleman of Baylor University contributed to this article.

Kerfoot Pollock Walker Jr. of Tyler, Christian physician and international missions volunteer, died Aug. 21. He was 92. He was born Jan. 27, 1930, in Huntington to Kerfoot and Nell Walker. He graduated with a bachelor’s degree in biology from Hardin-Simmons University in 1951. He earned his Doctorate of Medicine from Southwestern Medical School in Dallas in 1955. His post-graduate internship was at the University of Alabama Medical School and at the Hillman Clinics in Birmingham, Ala. He served as a doctor in the U.S. Navy Reserve from 1956 to 1962. He and Marietta Crowder married on June 29, 1957. The Walkers both finished their internal medicine specialty residencies at Dallas Veterans Hospital. They moved to Tyler in 1960, where he began his private internal medicine practice. He retired from private practice in 1978 to become medical director of the Tyler-Smith County Public Health Department, where he served until 1996. The Walkers applied to the Southern Baptist Foreign Mission Board in their early 30s, only to be turned down because they were “too old.” Thus began a lifetime of volunteer Christian mission service. In 1960, the Walkers joined Green Acres Baptist Church, where he taught high school Sunday school, served as a deacon and sang in the choir for more than half a century. He planned the church’s first youth mission trip and led many others. He developed the church’s Belize evangelism plan. The Walkers taught Vacation Bible School, provided free medical service, cared for refugees and provided pastors to train other pastors for more than 50 years in more than 30 countries. Beginning with a trip to what is now Belize in 1969, Walker worked with missionaries and fell in love with the Mayan people in the Toledo District. For the next five decades, the Walkers journeyed to the region two to four times a year to provide free medical treatment in remote jungle villages. In 1991, the couple served with Texas Baptist Men at a Kurdish refugee camp in northern Iraq. He also served in Bosnia, Albania and Lebanon. Walker opened The Way of Life, which includes several halfway houses that care for men who are ex-convicts and those struggling with various addictions, helping them to get clean, stay clean, get jobs and change their lives for the better. The original location in Tyler—the Walker House—is named for him. He served as an advisor to YWAM, Calvary Commission, Global Outreach, Chief Cornerstone, Way of Life, Belize missions, Grace Community Church, Living Alternatives and Amigos Internacionales. He was preceded in death by his wife Marietta in 2015. He is survived by son Pete and wife Vicki, daughter Amy and husband James, and son Chris and wife Tracy, all of Tyler; 11 grandchildren: three great-grandchildren; and a sister, Hestermae Nixon of Bullard. The family suggests memorial donations may be made to Bethesda Health Clinic, 409 W Ferguson St., Tyler, TX 75702; Living Alternatives, PO Box 131466, Tyler, TX 75713-1466; Chief Cornerstone, Inc., 8612 Auburn Drive, Tyler, TX 75703, or to another charity.

Elmin Kimbol Howell Jr., founding director of Texas Baptists’ River Ministry along the Texas-Mexico border, died Aug. 29 at Elysian Fields, near Marshall. He was 92.

During his nearly 30 years with River Ministry, Baptists started 670 churches along the Rio Grande, formed two associations of churches, launched six children’s homes and began 67 healthcare clinics in Mexico.

Howell coordinated the work of more than 10,000 volunteers a year and developed a field staff of 45 consultants. He worked with about 900 summer missionaries, many of whom went on to serve as international missionaries or denominational leaders.

Life characterized by missions and ministry

William M. Pinson Jr., executive director emeritus of the Baptist General Convention of Texas, called Howell “the embodiment of effort to fulfill the Great Commission and the Great Commandment of Christ.”

“Evangelism and ministry combined in a magnificent way characterized his life,” Pinson said.

“I thank God for my every remembrance of Elmin—his deep devotion to Christ, ready smile, amazing creativity, outstanding leadership and quiet humility in the midst of the huge mission’s success story of the River Ministry. He met challenging circumstances, setbacks and crises in a steady, unruffled way that inspired others.”

Pinson affirmed words Charles McLaughlin, longtime director of the BGCT State Missions Commission, wrote about Howell, saying he “served with dignity, effectiveness and Christian statesmanship.”

“Heaven is more populated and the world is a better place where the Rio Grande flows and far beyond due to the life and ministry of Elmin Howell,” Pinson said.

Kathy Hillman, former president of Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas and a former BGCT president, reflected on Howell’s widespread and long-lasting influence.

“Only God knows how many individuals, families and churches Elmin Howell impacted through Texas Baptists’ River Ministry and how many ripples continue,” Hillman said.

Hillman first met Howell when she was a high school student. As an adult she participated in three River Ministry trips, heard Howell speak numerous times at missions events and became a friend.

“Always, Elmin Howell sewed truth with love, stitched visions with wisdom, and wrapped others in quilts of encouragement,” she said.

Josue Valerio, missions team director for Texas Baptists, said Howell “lived out his faith and calling” through missions, particularly “serving and sharing God’s love.”

“He was passionate about serving the Lord and neighbors in need,” Valerio said. “He loved people on both sides of the border. Even in his retirement, Elmin was always ready to pray, give and help the population of our borderland with Mexico.”

Toby Druin, former editor of the Baptist Standard and Howell’s frequent hunting companion, said: “Elmin Howell became one of my closest friends some 35 years ago
through our mutual love for hunting. He was a turkey caller without peer.

“But if there was anything he loved more than hunting and calling in a gobbler, it was his Lord, his wife Betty and their family, and the Texas Baptist River Ministry. Every time we were together, I got an update on all of them. Elmin nurtured the River Ministry to life, and it was his consuming passion ’til the day he died.”

Long legacy of ministry

Howell was born Feb. 2, 1930, in Kerens to Elmin Kimbol Howell Sr. and Ruby Leigh Wright Howell. He attended Navarro Junior College in Corsicana and completed his undergraduate education at Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. He earned a Master of Arts degree from George Peabody College in Nashville, Tenn., and participated in graduate study at the University of Colorado at Boulder and at Pan American University in Edinburg.

He and Betty Kelton married on Feb. 13, 1955, in Abilene. Early in his career, he was a teacher and coach.

Later, he led mission and recreation programs at First Baptist Church in Beaumont and First Baptist Church in Shreveport, La., and he was recreation director for the Nashville Baptist Association.

On May 15, 1968, he became coordinator—later director—of River Ministry for the Baptist General Convention of Texas.

Early in his retirement, he served three years as president of the board of directors for Mission East Dallas Medical Clinic, a ministry of Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church, where the Howells were longtime members.

In 2007, Howell received the W. Winfred Moore Award for Lifetime Ministry Achievement from Baylor University and the Baptist Standard. A decade later, the BGCT presented him Texas Baptists’ Legacy Award.

He was preceded in death by a brother, James Douglas Howell.

He is survived by his wife Betty Kelton Howell; daughter Kimberly Howell Todaro and husband John; son Paul S. Howell and wife Amy; grandchildren Zachary O’Dell, Benjamin O’Dell and Brannan K. Howell; one step-grandson; five great-grandchildren; half-brothers Ben Howell and Chris Howell; and numerous nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held at 11 a.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7, at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas. A graveside service will follow at 3 p.m. in Kerens.

In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Texas Baptists’ River Ministry.

This article originally was posted at 9:30 a.m. on Aug. 29.  It was revised at 8:15 p.m. the same day to include information about funeral arrangements.

Robert “Bob” Duaine Burgin of Arlington, Baptist missionary, pastor and public school educator, died Aug. 19. He was 87. He was born March 3, 1935, to Joseph and Beulah Mae Burgin in Jewett, the youngest of seven children. After he graduated from Jewett High School, he continued his education at Sam Houston State Teachers College and Arlington State College. He later went on to earn a master’s degree from North Texas State University, and Dallas Baptist University awarded him an honorary doctorate. Burgin served in the U.S. Army from 1958 to 1962, including a 13-month assignment in South Korea. During that time, he and his wife Tillie fell in love with the Korean people and their country. After his time in the service, they returned to Arlington where he finished his student teaching and then took his first teaching job at Carter Junior High School. He later went on to teach at Arlington High School and Shackelford Junior High School before he served as assistant principal of Hutcheson and Gunn Junior High Schools, assistant principal and principal at Nichols Junior High, and principal of Arlington High School. When Bob and Tillie Burgin answered God’s call to missions, they served in Seoul, Korea, from 1966 to 1971 and 1976 to 1979. He served as a pastor through Mission Arlington since it began in 1986, most recently as the pastor of Parkview Fellowship Church. In January 1999, Burgin came out of retirement and returned to the classroom as a professor at Dallas Baptist University, where he spent the next 20 years. He is survived by his wife, Tillie; son Jim and his wife Debbie; son Rick and his wife Allison; five grandchildren; two great grandchildren; sister Imogene Freeman and brother Edgar Burgin. Visitation is scheduled from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on Aug. 24 at Wade Family Funeral Home in Arlington. His memorial service will be at 1 p.m. on Aug. 26 at Parkview Fellowship Church. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to Mission Arlington.

Samuel W. Prestidge Jr., a pioneering leader in Texas Baptist church music, died Aug. 11. He was 93. He was born Jan. 6, 1929, in Rio Vista to Samuel Walter Prestidge and Jewel Prestidge. After he graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in Dallas, he earned degrees from Baylor University in Waco and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He also received an honorary doctorate from Hardin-Simmons University in Abilene. Prestidge began his music ministry at First Baptist Church in Seymour and then served as minister of music at Baptist Temple in San Antonio. In 1961, he became associate director of the church music department at the Baptist General Convention of Texas. Ten years later, he was named director of the department. He is credited with establishing the Singing Men of Texas in 1975, the Texas Baptist All-State Youth Choir in 1976, the Texas Baptist All-State Youth Band in 1978 and Texas Baptist All-State Strings in 1994. He was preceded in death by his sister Quinieve Bilton; his first wife, Gail Pruitt Prestidge; and his wife of 59 years, Geneva Anderson Prestidge. Sam is survived by son Lew Prestidge and his wife Terri; daughter Lisa Phillips and her husband John; four grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren. A memorial service will be held at Shiloh Terrace Baptist Church in Dallas at 10 a.m. on Aug.16. Visitation will precede the service beginning at 8:30 a.m. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to the Sam and Geneva Prestidge Scholarship Fund through the Baptist General Convention Church Music Department.

Leon Kemp Aduddell, a longtime Texas Baptist pastor active in denominational service, died Jan. 5 in Plano. He was 91. Aduddell was born May 3, 1930, in Wellington to Annie and Herbert Aduddell Sr. He professed his faith in Jesus Christ at age 9 at Second Baptist Church in Corpus Christi. He responded to God’s call to ministry at age 15, preached his first sermon at age 16 and was pastor of his first church at age 19. He earned his undergraduate degree from Howard Payne University and met his wife of 71 years Dot when they were students at HPU. He went on to graduate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. After serving as senior pastor for decades in Texas Baptist churches, he became an associate pastor at First Baptist Church in Plano. He served on the State Missions Commission of the Baptist General Convention of Texas and as a trustee of Howard Payne University. He is survived by his wife Dot; son Michael and his wife Marcie; son Patrick and his wife Debby; five grandchildren; and five great-grandchildren.

Sylvia Oda Forsgard Vaughan of Garland, who devoted decades to teaching children both as a public schoolteacher and at her church, died July 26. She was 93. She was born Jan. 29, 1929, to Samuel McCullough Forsgard and Bernice Forsgard in Waco. She met her future husband, Kenneth Vaughan, while attending Baylor University. They married on May 21, 1949, and moved to Garland that same year, where they joined First Baptist Church. She loved teaching her first-grade Sunday school class and working in Vacation Bible School 64 years at First Baptist Church in Garland. She taught third grade 26 years at Park Crest Elementary School in the Garland Independent School District. She earned a master’s degree in education from Stephen F. Austin University. She was preceded in death by her husband, Kenneth Vaughan; brother, Samuel McCullough Forsgard Jr.; and sister Ann Marie Forsgard McDonald. She is survived by her daughter, Cynthia Spencer and husband John Spencer; one granddaughter; and one great-grandson. Memorial gifts may be made to the children’s ministry at First Baptist Church in Garland.

Bob E. Patterson of Waco, who taught five decades in Baylor University’s religion department, died July 17. He was 90. He was born Aug. 29, 1931, to Eva and Dewitt Patterson. He grew up in Kings Mountain, N.C. After two years at Gardner Webb University, he transferred to Baylor University as a junior and earned a bachelor’s degree in religion and English and earned a master’s degree in philosophy. He and his wife Barbara married in Tallahassee, Fla., in December 1953. They lived in Louisville, Ky., while he completed his Ph.D. at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary. Following graduation, the couple moved to Eustis, Fla., where he was pastor of First Baptist Church. In August 1961, he became a faculty member of Baylor University’s religion department. He taught there 50 years before retiring in 2011.While on the Baylor faculty, he wrote and edited numerous books and articles. An 18-volume series on “Makers of the Modern Theological Mind” and the book, Who is Jesus Christ?, were widely used by both students and laity. In 1995, he was appointed distinguished professor of religion. He also was a popular Bible teacher outside the classroom and was a frequent interim pastor and conference speaker. He traveled to several countries in the former Soviet Union as a mission teacher, taught in the Baylor in London studies program, and led several study tours to the Middle East. For more than 40 years, he taught a Sunday school class at First Baptist Church of Waco. Outside the academic world, he loved baseball and coached girls’ Little League many years. He also was a jogger, hunter, backpacker and avid reader. He researched his family genealogy and coordinated semi-annual family reunions. He was preceded in death by his wife Barbara and by three brothers: Charles, Jack and Hal. He is survived by daughter Lindy Dehm and husband Brian; daughter Beth Patterson; two grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren.

David N. Guel, Texas Baptist pastor and church starter, died June 20. He was 78. He was born Jan. 25, 1944, in Houston to Margarito Guel and Virginia Diaz Guel. The youngest of four children, he grew up frequently attending the church where he would eventually meet his future bride. At age 17, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. During his eight years of service, he was stationed in multiple places, including Wiesbaden, Germany; Washington, D.C.; and Cam Ranh Bay, Vietnam. During his time in Vietnam, Guel felt God’s call to the ministry. He earned his GED while still in the service, and enrolled in Houston Baptist University upon returning home. David ultimately earned a master’s degree and doctorate from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. His early years of ministry focused on evangelism. In his last year in Vietnam, he and fellow servicemen prayed for a Vietnam veterans-led evangelism event. Their prayers were realized in 1970 at Delmar Stadium in Houston. With the help of Houston-area pastors, it was a successful, miraculous week. On Dec. 23, 1972, he married Cecilia Miranda in Houston. As a couple, they committed to starting English-language Hispanic churches. He was recognized as Pastor of the Year in 1986 by the language missions division of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Home Mission Board. He was then called to serve as a church starter with the Baptist General Convention of Texas, and in a dual assignment was appointed as a home missionary with the North American Mission Board. In that capacity, he was instrumental in the establishment of several hundred new churches in Texas. He also influenced churches and pastors to continue the same work both domestically and abroad. Later in his ministry, David became an advocate for strong and compassionate immigration reform and led groups to Washington, D.C., to meet with elected officials to discuss immigration issues. He served more than five decades in fulltime ministry and continued to give his time to churches after he retired as opportunities arose.  He is survived by his wife of nearly 50 years, Cecilia Miranda Guel of Houston; sons David Stephan Guel and wife Lauren of Waco; son Eric Nathan Guel and wife Brandi of Waco; daughter Deborah Guel of Houston; and seven grandchildren. His family will receive visitors from 5 p.m. to 7 p.m. on July 6 at the chapel of First Baptist Church of Houston Loop Campus. A celebration of life service will be held at 1 p.m. on July 7, 2022 in the chapel of First Baptist Church of Houston Loop Campus. In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations to Texas Baptist Men Disaster Relief.