Ray McGlothlin Jr. embedded his family into Abilene, his alma mater
Longtime, successful businessman Ray McGlothlin had an interesting tie to Hollywood.
McGlothlin was involved in several business ventures, most oil-related. One was E-Z Serve, an Abilene-based company that was a pioneer in a convenience that today is taken for granted: Paying at the gas pump.
In the 1979 movie "The Jerk," actor Steve Martin plays Navin, whose life adventures include working at a gas station.
It's name? E-Z Serve.
Martin, who had ties to Abilene, borrowed the name of the local business to use in the movie, which is regarded as one of the best comedies of all time.
McGlothlin, one of three successful brothers in an influential Abilene family, died Wednesday. He was 95.
Visitation was planned for Saturday, with a funeral service at 2:30 p.m. at Hillcrest Church of Christ.
A graveside service will be at 11 a.m. at Elmwood Memoria Park.
A family that mattered
A story in the Centennial edition of the Abilene Reporter-News in 1981 lauded the McGlothlin family.
Ray McGlothlin Sr. came to the city in the 1930s, and sons Ray Jr., Jack and Hal carried on the family name in business. McGlothlin Campus Center, opened in 1968, was the result of a $1.6 million gift from the family to honor the brothers' parents.
Jack McGlothlin organized LaJet Inc., which was engaged in the oil refinery business. He was president and then chairman of the board. The LaJet name is remembered for its sponsorship of a PGA tournament at the new Fairway Oaks Golf & Racquet Club in southwest Abilene.
He is a 1951 ACC grad.
Hal McGlothlin and Tony Andress were key in the development of Fairway Oaks, a golf course home community that sparked Abilene growth to the southwest.
A 1958 ACC graduate, Hal McGlothlin preceded his brother in death.
Ray Jr. led E-Z Serve, which was involved in the gasoline retailing business. He was a director of First Abilene Bancshares and First National Bank.
Important to ACU
He was well-known in the Church of Christ community.
McGlothlin was a 1949 graduate of Abilene Christian College and would serve on the university's board of trustees beginning in 1964 and leading as chairman in 1974.
"As far back as I can remember coming to ACU, I can remember him," said Gary McCaleb, a former administrator who would serve three terms as Abilene mayor. "His was a name you heard around the campus."
In February 1977, he was named Outstanding Alumnus of the Year. Seven years later, the couple received the university's first Christian Service Award.
In 1985, he received an honorary degree along with ACU chancellor John Stevens.
McGlothlin was born in Grand Prairie, graduated from Abilene High School in 1944 and married Kay Dollar in December 1947. They met at ACC.
The couple founded Hillcrest Church of Christ, which is located near the Abilene Christian campus. She preceded her husband in death in October 2017.
"The first thing that comes to mind when I think about Ray is family," McCaleb said. "There has been a generational thing about the McGlothlin family. It preceded him and has followed him.
"People always talked about Ray and Kay. ACU became part of his family, and the city of Abilene became part of his family."
The four McGlothlin children are ACU graduates.
McGlothlin's degree was not in business but Greek. His master's degree from the University of Texas also was in Greek, and he was director of the Church of Christ Bible Chair at UT from 1951-56.
He worked his way into the oil business, serving as president and director of the McWood Corporation before moving to Texas Calgary Company.
He formed E-Z Serve in 1971. E-Z Serve became a leading gas retailer, with more than 900 outlets. Most of those were convenience stores.
E-Z Serve was sold for more than $36 million in 1985.
He would found a new business, SoftSearch Inc., which sold a medical diagnostic tool.
In its remembrances, ACU noted that McGlothlin Jr. was known for his singing. He enjoyed singing, and was a member of the A Capella Chorus, along with his future wife.
Additionally, ACU students were invited to the McGlothlin home, where they had a meal and participated in singing. The dinner dates were called "Song and Supper."
The McGlothlins would join Harold and Jeannette Lipford and Burl and Jan McCoy to sings at weddings, funerals and other occasions, McCaleb recalled
"He was so generous with his time and his resources," McCaleb said. "He was just part of the family fabric."
This article originally appeared on Abilene Reporter-News: Ray McGlothlin Jr. embedded his family into Abilene, his alma mater
