Obituary: Samuel W. Prestidge Jr.
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 
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 
Jack Ridlehoover, longtime Texas Baptist pastor and mentor to ministers, died June 19. He was 91. He was born on a farm near Gunter in Grayson County on Oct. 2, 1930, to W.J. and Sallie Ridlehoover. He married Betty Jo Knight on Jan. 30, 1948. He began preaching at age 17, held his first pastorate at age 19, and served as a pastor continuously until 1992. He was pastor of Pioneer Drive Baptist Church in Abilene for 29 years. In retirement, he became president of Ministers’ Mentoring and Consulting Service, donating his time as a mentor and consultant to pastors and small churches. He was interim pastor of 22 churches in his retirement. Ridlehoover was a graduate of Baylor University and Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary, and Hardin-Simmons University awarded him an honorary Doctor of Divinity degree. He served on numerous Baptist boards and committees. He was a published writer in the area of leadership and church administration. He and his wife traveled and ministered in 18 foreign countries. He was preceded in death by 10 half-brothers and sisters. He is survived by his wife of 74 years Betty; daughter Cindy Myers and husband Tom; son Roger Ridlehoover and wife Frances; five grandchildren; and five great grandchildren. Visitation will be 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on June 23, 2022, at the Hamil Family Funeral Home in Abilene. A memorial service is scheduled at 1 p.m. on June 24 at Pioneer Drive Baptist Church.
Lucien E. Coleman Jr., veteran religious educator and scholar, died June 11 in Weatherford. He was 91. He was born to in Lepanto, Ark., on March 2, 1931. He lived in several Arkansas towns growing up before moving to Little Rock, where his father was a two-term state senator. After graduating from high school in Springdale, Lucien enrolled at Ouachita College in Arkadelphia.While at Ouachita, he became engaged to Bobbie Holland from Lunsford, Ark. The couple marked their 69th wedding anniversary eight days prior to his death. Coleman earned undergraduate degrees in English and divinity; Master of Arts degrees in divinity, theology, religious education and journalism; and a doctorate in religious education. He served as pastor of several churches before committing his life to full-time teaching. He taught 17 years at Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Ky., and 10 years at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Fort Worth. He taught in seminaries and conference centers on six continents and was a prolific author, writing dozens of articles and a number of books about religious education. He and his wife also personally produced Sunday school training materials for 38 years. At its peak, their teaching ministry served more than 800 churches. He was most recently working on a devotional series to publish for free on digital platforms. He is survived by his wife, Bobbie; daughter Vivian Conrad and her husband John; daughter Lynette Johnson and her husband Garry; son Martin Coleman and his wife Shirley; 12 grandchildren; and 22 great-children. Visitation with the Coleman Family is scheduled at 2:30 p.m. June 18 at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Fort Worth. A memorial service is scheduled at 3:30 p.m. in the main chapel at Laurel Land.
Rex Don Bruton, a volunteer with Texas Baptist Men Camp Builders, died May 29 in Granbury. He was 81. He was born Feb. 8, 1941, in Brownwood to Melvin and Vera Bruton. He was a member of Acton Baptist Church, where he served as a deacon and Sunday school teacher. He and his wife Janice volunteered for TBM Camp Builders 12 years, and he served as the Camp Builder coordinator for six years. He is survived by his wife of 62 years and 10 months Janice Bruton; daughter Donna Pruitt and husband Gerald; daughter Kim Thompson and husband Don; four grandchildren; seven great-grandchildren; and a sister, Lynda Alexander.
Mark Allen Collins of Houston died June 2. He was 66. He was born July 1, 1955, in Dallas to Dale and Betty Collins. He was a loving husband and friend to Lisa, his high school sweetheart with whom he celebrated their 47th anniversary on May 31. Collins worked as CEO and president of Gulf Coast Pump and Supply more than four decades. Friends and family knew him as a natural storyteller who loved the outdoors and as a Christian who always was willing to share the gospel with those he met. His heart’s desire was to be a godly man, a loving husband, a compassionate father, a faithful brother and a devoted son. He was preceded in death by his mother Betty Lou Collins, and he entered into eternity with four grandsons, Waylon, Carson, Hudson and Bryson Collins. He is survived by his wife Lisa Scarbrough Collins; son Christopher Collins and his wife Misti; son Dustin Collins and his wife Shelta; son Matthew Collins and his wife Susie; grandchildren Boston, Olivia and Jack Collins; father Dale Collins; brothers Mike and Glen Collins; and sisters Brenda Cherry and Karen Mitcham. The family will receive visitors June 10 from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Houston Northwest Church. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. June 11 at Champion Forest Baptist Church in Houston.
Helen Grace O’Dell of Amarillo, longtime missions volunteer and pastor’s wife, died May 26. She was 88. She was born to John McKinley and Evvie Maybelle Jones Cagle in Wister, Okla., on Jan. 15, 1934. She grew up in the First Baptist Church of Wister, trusted Jesus Christ as her Savior at age 9 and was baptized in nearby Caston Creek. She felt called by God to special ministry in her teens. She graduated from Wister High School in 1951 and attended Poteau Junior College. She met her future husband, William H. O’Dell, at First Baptist Church of Wister after he returned from serving in the Korean War. They married there Dec. 20, 1952. She then completed her associate degree before they moved to Waco for her husband to attend Baylor University. When he was pastor of churches in Oklahoma, California and Texas, she served many roles in church planting, missions and ministry support. Along the way, the couple had four children, and she earned both bachelor and master degrees from Wayland Baptist University. She worked at Air Force bases in Waco and Big Spring, and she served 24 years at the Veterans Affairs Medical Center in Amarillo, retiring as assistant chief of information management. She also volunteered for many years at the Perkins Center Buchanan Street Chapel, a mission of First Baptist Church in Amarillo, worked in Woman’s Missionary Union, mentored in the Christian Women’s Job Corps, taught English as a Second Language, and served alongside her husband in his interim pastorates. She delighted in the “Discussion Class” at First Baptist Church in Amarillo that she and her husband began in 2007. She was preceded in death by her husband of 68 years in June 2021. She is survived by daughter Karen O’Dell Bullock and her husband John of Granbury; daughter Kandi O’Dell Pruitt of Iowa Park; daughter Kathy O’Dell of Amarillo; son William O’Dell Jr. and his wife Amy of Stephenville; 12 grandchildren; 9 great-grandchildren; and a sister, Virginia Corby, of Heavener, Okla.
Alexandria Aniyah Rubio died May 24 in Uvalde. She was 10. Alexandria was born to Felix and Kimberly Rubio on October 20, 2011, in Hondo. Alexandria loved the color yellow and was a huge fan of ice cream. She enjoyed playing softball and basketball. She was preceded in death by her paternal great-grandparents, Luis Enrique Rubio and Silvestre Orona. She is survived by her parents, Felix and Kimberly Rubio; brothers, Isaiah Rodriguez, David Falcon III, Julian Rubio; sisters, Kalisa Barboza and Jahleela Rubio; aunt, Analyse Mata; uncle, Brandon Mendoza; cousins, Brandon Mendoza Jr., Derek Mendoza and Mary-Claire Mendoza; maternal grandparents, Victor and Cindy Castillo, Ruben F. and Larisa Mata; paternal grandparents, Luis “Chacho” and Connie Rubio; maternal great-grandparents, Margie and Julian Moreno, who was pastor of Primera Iglesia Bautista in Uvalde more than five decades, and Ruben and Mary Mata; and paternal great-grandparents, Oralia Orona and Trini Gutierrez, and Jesse and Maxine Martinez. Visitation will be held from 3 p.m. to 9 p.m. on June 10 at Rushing-Estes-Knowles Mortuary Chapel, with a prayer service to be held at 7 p.m. A memorial service will be held at 10 a.m. June 11 at First Baptist Church in Uvalde.
Charles Davis Vanderslice, longtime Baptist pastor and denominational worker, died April 27. He was 93. He was born to Thomas and Ollie Vanderslice in Alba. He graduated from Southern Methodist University and earned a Master of Religious Education degree from Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary. He and Dorcille Jones married in 1956. That same year, he founded Richardson Heights Baptist Church, now The Heights Church, where they served together 18 years. He later worked for Dallas Baptist University, the Stewardship Commission and Guidestone Financial Resources. He also was an interim pastor for more than 25 churches. He is survived by Dorcille, his wife of 66 years; son David and his wife Carol; daughter Denise Schramm and her husband Tim; son Doug and his wife Angela; son Don; 13 grandchildren; and six great-grandchildren. Services will be held at The Heights Church in Richardson at 11 a.m. on May 10. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to the Charles and Dorcille Vanderslice Scholarship Fund at Baylor University through University Advancement, One Bear Place #97050, Waco, TX 76798-7050.