In Memoriam

Allen Oubre

Allen Oubre, the father of Michael Oubre, died in the early hours of October 17, 2008 from complications of a long series of minor strokes. The photo montage, comments from Michael and details of his life were prepared for a memorial service held on October 19, 2008 attended by his family, friends and former members of his Austin congregation and Sunday School class at Great Hills Baptist Church.

Allen Benedict Oubre was born on the first day of August 1923 in New Iberia, Louisiana, to Albert and Bernadette Oubre. At an early age, he moved with his mother, three brothers and two sisters to San Antonio, Texas. He and his siblings were raised in the Catholic orphanage and he graduated from Central Catholic High School in 1941. He enlisted in the Air Force and achieved the rank of Master Sergeant but his squadron was never deployed. He began his college education in 1946, attended the seminary at Howard Payne College and graduated from the University of Corpus Christi in 1949.

He was preceded in death by his wife Leanora. He is survived by his children, Michael Oubre of Pflugerville, Larry Oubre of Austin, Anne Ott of Houston, four grandchildren and three great grandchildren.

He began his ministry during his seminary years and served as the pastor of churches in Marhkam, Robstown, Pearsall, Freer, Raymondville, Houston and Austin before his retirement in 1984. He continued his Christian service as a teacher of Sunday School classes at Great Hills Baptist Church for many years before his declining health would no longer permit him to continue.

His ministry was characterized by his diligent scholarship and his systematic teaching of the Word. He loved Christian music and frequently used his rich bass/baritone voice in praising the Lord.

The game of golf was his one passion in life outside of the ministry and he made many friends on the course where he insisted on being called “Al”. He was an excellent player and companion, congenial but competitive as long as his health allowed him to play.

At some point, most children realize that their parents are human, after all—heir to the same foibles and shortcomings as the rest of us. It is particularly poignant for the children of a minister, as so often the demanding expectations of their congregations and society force a pastor to adopt a public persona that becomes their daily habit. Often it is difficult for the children to comprehend how narrowly focused such a life of service can be.

My father was truly dedicated to his calling and seldom stepped out of character, often placing his pastoral duties above all else. For much of his ministry, he had few real close friends with whom he could be himself. Those close to him saw his burning competitiveness— I remember joking that he played canasta for blood, and his sister-in-law recently remarked about the heated theological arguments with his brothers. It was, however, only on the golf course that his true personality was allowed to shine through and he could step outside of his role as pastor and just be one of the boys. Certainly our finest father and son moments came while playing a round together.

After many years of attending other churches, I finally came to fully appreciate the remarkable scholarship and marvelous effectiveness of my father’s preaching and teaching. I came to realize that I was forever spoiled and that my standards were set impossibly high by someone who, though just a man, was truly guided by the spirit to exceptional service.

Michael Oubre