09/05/2025
REUBEN CLINTON MCGILVARY, III
Reuben Clinton McGilvary III, 72, of Hot Springs Village, Arkansas departed this life and entered into the continued journey of perfection with our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on Thursday, September 4, 2025.
A Liturgy of Commendation and Committal is scheduled for 5:00PM, Friday, September 12, 2025, at the All Saints Anglican Church, 3 Jardinero Dr, Hot Springs Village, Arkansas. Committal to follow at The Garden of the Good Shepherd, All Saints Anglican Church. Cremation was under the direction of Cedar Vale Funeral Home.
A graveside Memorial Service is scheduled for 10:00AM, Saturday, September 20, 2025, at Llanno Cemetery East, in Amarillo, Texas (2900 S. Hayes St.).
Reuben entered this life on August 27, 1953, in Midland, Texas to Reuben Clinton McGilvary Jr. and Carole (Smith) McGilvary. The family moved to Seminole, Texas in 1959 and then to Hereford, Texas in 1967 where he graduated from Hereford High School in 1972.
Beginning his senior year of High School in 1971, he was employed by the Deaf Smith County Sheriff Department as a dispatcher until he was qualified to attend the Panhandle Regional Law Enforcement Academy to become certified and licensed as a peace officer. Upon graduation, Reuben continued with the Sheriff’s Department in various capacities as a deputy, later transferring to the Hereford Police Department in 1976.
During the 1970’s Reuben was an active member of the Hereford Fire Department achieving basic certification as a volunteer firefighter and as an emergency medical technician. Additionally, he stood for and passed the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians. He served as Secretary for several years and later as Assistant Fire Chief. During his tenure with the fire service, he served for many years as an instructor in heavy rescue at the annual Lubbock Fire School and in structural firefighting at the annual Canyon Fire School. Reuben was awarded the Firefighter of the Year award by his peers in 1974.
In 1980 Reuben moved from Hereford to Amarillo, Texas and began employment at the Department of Energy’s Pantex Plant, which provided the nation’s only nuclear weapons assembly, disassembly, and maintenance facility for the military’s nuclear weapons stockpile, serving in various departmental and division capacities, to include Deputy Division Manager, within the Safeguards and Security Division. He co-led several high profile causal factor incident investigations within the nuclear weapons complex. He retired in 2014. During his tenure at Pantex he separated and served on a team providing an audit capacity for work being conducted by the national laboratories in collaboration with the Russian Federation requiring several trips to Russia.
Upon retirement and until his death, both Reuben and Myra became actively involved with Garden City Ammonia Program teaching OSHA and EPA process safety management requirements and conducting compliance audits for food industry facilities which used anhydrous ammonia.
Reuben graduated from Wayland Baptist University in 1987 with a B.S. degree in Criminal Justice, and from West Texas State University in 1990 with a M.A. degree in Political Science, writing his thesis on, “Use of Improved Employment and Training Practices to Curb the Use of Force by the Police.” In 1995 he was awarded an earned doctorate degree from Walden University in Administration and Management after completing and defending his dissertation on, “Assessment of Leadership, Motivation and Organizational Climate in the Workplace.”
In 1989 Reuben joined the U.S. Navy Reserves and was deployed with the protective force attached to the 21st Fleet Hospital (mobile 500-bed surgical hospital) stationed in San Diego, CA as a Master-at-Arms 2nd Class Petty Officer. He was honorably discharged in 1997.
Volunteering in the community was important to Reuben; he served on the board of directors for Lake Tanglewood Inc./LSIOT for six years, the last three as President. Additionally, he served on many United Way campaigns. Prior to his retirement, he served as Mayor of the Village of Lake Tanglewood.
Reuben became a member of Hereford Masonic Lodge 849 in 1974 and was raised to a Master Mason on January 9, 1975. He was awarded the 32nd degree of the Ancient and Accepted Scottish Rite in 1994 and was dubbed a Knight and created a member of Amarillo Commandery 48 of Knights Templar in 2003. Reuben was inducted into the Royal Order of Scotland at Edinburgh, Scotland in 2005. The majority of Reuben’s masonic work started in 1994 when he was received into the Khiva Shrine A.A.O.N.M.S. in Amarillo, Texas, where he was an active member of the Oriental Band, Duffers, Cycle Es**rt and Muleskinners. In 1999 he was elected to the Board of Directors for Khiva Shriners where he served in successive positions until being installed as Potentate (President/CEO) in 2003 with jurisdiction for 26 counties in the Texas Panhandle. In 2004, Reuben was appointed to the Board of Directors for Shriners Hospitals for Children in Galveston.
One of Reuben’s greatest enjoyments was teaching. Prior to completing his doctorate, Reuben taught for several years in an adjunct capacity for Amarillo College; afterwards, he taught over 19 years (78 continuous quarters), for Wayland Baptist University’s Graduate School of Business. His second most enjoyable activity was writing in conjunction with business problem solving, including publishing several journal articles during his business career. After retirement he constructed short stories about his life experiences to the enjoyment of many.
Reuben met Myra Lynn (King) Smith at the Pantex Plant in 1987 where they were both employed; a magical introduction that immediately blossomed into a wonderful friendship. Smitten, Reuben often invented reasons they could collaborate on some work activity just so he could see her. They were married in 1989 in San Francisco, California. Reuben and Myra were blessed with a wonderful and supportive blended family of six children. The grandchildren were always welcomed and enjoyed themselves; most weekends at least a few stayed with Papa and Mama. Reuben and Myra were also blessed with the opportunity to visit many exotic locations; travel excursions being their most enjoyable activity.
Reuben was preceded in death by his father in 1996 and his mother in 2011.
Survivors include his wife, Myra; Michael Christopher McGilvary and wife Charlie of Dallas, Texas; Nicholas Aaron McGilvary and wife Jennifer of Amarillo, Texas; Tiffany Dawn (Smith) Shadle and fiancé Robert Gibson of Albuquerque, New Mexico; Stacy Michelle (Smith) Oldfield and husband Greg of Amarillo, Texas; Christy Rochelle (Smith) Cox and husband Carl of San Antonio, Texas; Dr. Roger Leslie Smith and wife Jana of Pleasant Hill, Missouri; 16 grandchildren; 10 great-grandchildren; siblings, Ramona Kay (McGilvary) Ward and husband Micki, Rachel Renee (McGilvary) Williams and husband Randy, and Rebecca Rae (McGilvary) Melugin; and a host of nephews and nieces.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials to glioblastoma research.
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