04/30/2026
Scott Davis Herrick, 77, of Amarillo, Texas, went home to be with his Lord on April 28, 2026. He passed peacefully at Baptist St. Anthony’s Health System hand in hand with his loving wife Gloria.
Scott was born on January 18, 1949, in Merced, California, to Martin Benedict Herrick and Billie Beth (Davis) Herrick. He grew up in Phoenix, Arizona, where he was a standout athlete at Brophy College Preparatory—starring on the football field and earning All-State honors as a first baseman. He was a proud and protective brother to Chrys, loving her fiercely his whole life.
Scott’s love of discipline and military tradition drew him to Texas A&M University, where he arrived as “Fish Herrick”—hauling his footlocker across campus to the Quad, only to be immediately chastised for “going in the out door.” He graduated with the Aggie Class of 1971, and his devotion to A&M never wavered. Both of his sons knew the Aggie War Hymn and every Aggie tradition before they could walk, and both followed in his footsteps to attend Texas A&M. After college, Scott proudly served in the Army Air Corps of the National Guard, after which he famously declared he would “never jump out of a perfectly good airplane again.”
Scott’s love story with Gloria Elizabeth Lilley began through a college introduction—his roommate Don Jones was high school friends with Gloria’s brother Gerald. Scott would hitchhike from College Station to Dallas and back just to see her, because he didn’t have a car until his senior year. He graduated from A&M on a Saturday morning and married Gloria that same Saturday afternoon, because his parents could only afford one trip to Texas. They would have celebrated 55 years of marriage next Saturday.
After getting his first job in the oil patch at Sun Oil Company, Scott rose quickly through the ranks, leading teams at Sun Oil Company, Delhi Gas Pipeline, and Search Drilling Company—which brought him to Amarillo. In 1982, he founded Pantera Energy Company and built a legacy family business with amazing employees that he loved dearly.
A true engineer to his core, Scott was meticulous, process-oriented, and had a detailed file for everything. He dotted his i’s and crossed his t’s—and he stubbornly refused to learn Excel because Lotus 1-2-3 was perfectly fine, thank you very much, and he already knew all the shortcut keys from before they invented Windows. He was a businessman of the utmost integrity, always honest in his dealings and insistent on treating others well. On family road trips, he would pose ethics questions to his sons: “What if a salesman handed you an extra $100 bill in exchange for signing on to their deal?” He was teaching character long before his boys realized it. “Just because the bank will give you the money doesn’t mean you should take it,” he would say. He brought that same discipline to everything—when Jason complained about engineering physics, Scott simply told him, “You can do anything for a semester.”
But Scott always left work at work. He plugged into every one of his kids’ activities—coaching their teams, leading their Webelos troops, and engineering the most aerodynamic Pinewood Derby cars, specially shaving down the plastic tires to reduce friction. He didn’t need to be the biggest personality in the room, but you always knew he was there. He didn’t complain. And he loved to be silly—like showing up to Sammi’s dance recital as her date in a tuxedo shirt, or channeling his best Carl Spackler from Caddyshack to help Shannon capture a rogue chipmunk. Everything was “more fun than a barrel of monkeys!”
Scott’s hobbies were many and ever-evolving. He was a gifted, self-taught guitar player who had recently taken up teaching himself the banjo, reviewing techniques with David along the way. He was an accomplished woodworker who used his engineering nature to craft family heirlooms—changing tables, side tables, bookshelves, and a grandfather clock. He loved quail hunting and training his dogs, fishing, camping, and building and flying model airplanes. Jason remembers the model airplane phase as the first time he ever saw his dad cry—when a custom prize plane with “TEXAS AGGIES” emblazoned on the underwing crashed spectacularly on its maiden flight at Southeast Park.
He always had a love of cars. Over the years he kept up a Triumph, a ’54 MG, a ’33 Ford, various Corvettes, and the ’56 Chevy—where he patiently taught both boys how to take care of cars.
People remember how quick Scott was to laugh. With his unique cackle, you couldn’t help laughing yourself. He was an amazing conversationalist, equally willing to delve deep into politics or business. David remembers him every evening sitting and meticulously reading the Wall Street Journal that was delivered to the house daily, followed by the nightly news.
Scott had an extraordinary caring streak and a special heart for the less fortunate. He and Gloria volunteered for over twelve years at Faith City Mission, right up until he physically couldn’t go anymore. Scott mentored numerous men struggling with addiction, and the Pantera office became a regular stop for homeless visitors because Scott always talked to them like valued people and found them something to do. Jason says he never had to clean his own windshield—it was usually part of some odd job Scott had arranged.
You never had to wonder if Scott was proud of his kids and grandkids. He told you he loved you. He told you he was proud of you. He told you that you were a valued employee, or that you did a good job. He said the words out loud, every time.
When health issues began in his fifties, Scott thought deeply about the fragility of life. He reminded everyone that we aren’t long for this world and that you can’t take anything for granted. During his leukemia diagnosis, when the family feared the worst, his one regret was that he had looked forward to spending more time with his grandkids. God heard his prayer and granted him another remarkable twenty years—years in which he watched each grandchild succeed in their own way. He beamed with pride at each of their special and unique talents and was their biggest fan. Scott always knew this world was not the end. He is home now, in the arms of his Lord, at perfect peace. Until we see him again, we carry with us the love he never hesitated to say out loud.
Softly call the muster,
Let comrade answer, “Here!”
Their spirits hover ‘round us:
As if to bring us cheer!
Mark them "present" in our hearts,
We’ll meet some other day.
There is no Death, but Life Eternity
For heroes such as they!
Scott is survived by his beloved wife of nearly 55 years, Gloria Elizabeth (Lilley) Herrick of Amarillo; his sister Chrys Jallo and husband David; son Jason Herrick and wife Shannon; son David Herrick and wife Kristi; and six amazing grandchildren: Olivia, Landry, Ian, Claire, Sammi, and Becca.
He was preceded in death by his parents, Martin Benedict Herrick and Billie Beth (Davis) Herrick.
Viewing will be from 2-3:00 PM, Sunday, May 3, 2026 at Boxwell Brothers Funeral Home, 2800 Paramount. Funeral service will be at 2:00 PM, Monday, May 4, 2026 at Hillside Christian Church, 6100 S Soncy Rd. Entombment will follow in Llano Cemetery. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors.
In lieu of flowers, the family requests donations be made to Faith City Mission or Sharing Hope Ministries.
Online condolences may be shared at www.boxwellbrothers.com
