Dr. Stephen A. Holditch
October 20, 1946 – August 9, 2019
Dr. Stephen Allen Holditch, Texas A&M Class of ’69 of College Station, TX died on August 9, 2019, surrounded by his dearest loved ones. He was 72 years old. A visitation will from 5:30 to 7:30 pm, Tuesday, August 13, 2019, at Callaway-Jones Funeral Center, 3001 South College Avenue. Life Tribute Celebration will be at 1:00 pm, Wednesday, August 14, 2019, at A&M United Methodist Church, with interment to follow in the Memorial Cemetery of College Station – Aggie Field of Honor.
Steve is survived by his wife, Ann of College Station, TX, his daughter Katie Holditch (Class of ’97) of The Woodlands, TX and his daughter Abbie Walsh and son-in-law Kenn (both Class of ’01) of College Station, TX. The light of Steve’s life was his five grandchildren, whom he adored and loved taking to Disney World and the beach. Katie’s boys are Stephen (Class of ’21) and Jackson Rowe of The Woodlands, TX and Abbie’s three children are Kyle, Ashlea and Georgia Walsh of College Station, TX. Steve’s surviving siblings are Damon Holditch, Diane Holditch Barber and Jerry Holditch. His closest friend, Mike Klahn, is Ann’s first cousin. Steve loved all of his many nieces, nephews and cousins. Steve also doted on his beloved Labrador, Ellie. His parents, Damon and Margie Holditch, precede Steve in death.
Steve was the second son born to Damon and Margie on October 20, 1946 in Corsicana, TX. Steve moved several times as a child and teenager as his father pursued a career in the oil and gas industry. He lived in San Antonio, TX for his first three years of high school, so that city and it’s rich history always held a special place in his heart. Steve graduated from Richardson High School in Richardson, TX in 1965. After graduating from high school, Steve joined the Texas A&M Corps of Cadets and began his journey as an Aggie. While in the Corps in outfit F-1, Steve was a Ross Volunteer and was on the Ross Volunteer Firing Squad, and by his senior year was Second Battalion Commander. Steve received his B.S. in 1969, a M.S. in 1970 and Ph.D. in 1975 all in Petroleum Engineering. Steve joined the Texas A&M Faculty in 1976. He taught 97 courses and served on more than 175 graduate committees.
Steve was the Head of the Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering at Texas A&M from 2004-2012. He was named a Texas A&M Distinguished Alumnus in 2014, and in April of 2016, he was inducted into the Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor, which made him prouder and happier than almost any other award he ever received. Steve was a season ticket holder for a variety of Texas A&M sports throughout the years, but Fightin’ Texas Aggie Football and Kyle Field were closest to his heart. There was nothing he loved more than giving back to the university he adored and credited for much of his success, and when he was named a Distinguished Alumnus he said, “You will look back at your years at Texas A&M as one of the best periods in your life. Your classmates will be lifelong friends, so keep in touch with them and the university as your career takes you to various parts of the world. Always remember the Aggie Code of Honor.”
Professionally, Steve Holditch had no equal. In 1976, he started his consulting company, S.A. Holditch & Associates and the company thrived and innovated all over the world for over 20 years. S.A. Holditch & Associates had a worldwide reputation for being able to solve the most difficult petroleum engineering problems. After selling the company to Schlumberger in 1997, Steve was a Schlumberger Fellow for five years and traveled stateside and internationally as a consultant and member of several professional boards. Steve was elected to the National Academy of Engineering, the highest honor that can be given to an engineer, in 1995 at the age of 49. Steve served as President of the Society of Petroleum Engineers (SPE) in 2002 and was honored with three of the SPE’s top technical awards, including the Legends of Hydraulic Fracturing Award, which he received in 2014. He was elected as an SPE Honorary Member in 2006, the highest honor that SPE presents to an individual.
Steve was loved and will be missed terribly by his family, friends and so many people in Bryan/College Station and all over the world.
Our dad’s last request, in lieu of flowers, was that Memorial Donations be given to “The Harold Vance Department of Petroleum Engineering general scholarship fund or to A&M United Methodist Church.”
Express condolences at CallawayJones.com
Dorothy and Doyle Sanders along with Kyle, Ginny, Sunnie and their families offer our loving condolences to Ann, Katie, Abbie and their loved ones. Steve was a best friend from fish buddy over half a century. We had fun, excitement, and long term professional opportunities that are still with us today. Go get em Steve. We love you and look forward to being with you again. Rest In Peace and give my best regards to Louis and RA.
Our deepest sympathy. May he rest in peace.
My friend Dave Burnett send me the sad news about Steve which has been very difficult to take. My mind finally raced to the lyrics to an Eagle’s Song:
There’s a hole in the world tonight
There’s a cloud of fear and sorrow
There’s a hole in the world tonight
Don’t let there be a hole in the world tomorrow….
You know, the remarkable thing about Steve is the positive impact he has had on so many people. Trying to reconcile this loss, just think how large the hole would have been without him. Rest in peace my friend.
What a man was Steve! A great man in his profession and surely for his family. Deepest sympathy for your loss.
Praying for you during this time.
I knew Doctor Holditch since 1982 when I was studying PETE at A&M and continued to be in touch with him during our career with Schlumberger and the Society of Petroleum Engineers. He was a true professional engineer and mentor to many engineers. May he RIP. My condolences to his family.
Ann, we only just met Steve, but we knew right away we were in the company of a great Aggie and a great man. Our condolences to you and your beautiful family. Your neighbors want to support you in any way we can.
My deepest condolences to you Ann and your family. I am honored to have known Steve and I am forever grateful for all that he has done for me. He had a very profound impact on so many lives including my own. His generosity through sharing his knowledge and life with so many people will always be remembered. Steve will always be with us because of this. I wish you comfort and peace in your time of loss.
So sorry for your loss.
He was always smiling and had such a positive presence whenever we saw him. Hugs and prayers for your family.
I have the fondest memories of Steve and his team working with me and my fathers company David K Davies and Associates on those PEMEX field studies in the 90’s.
I’m sure Steve and my father are having heated discussions on Reservoir Characterization as we speak .
I truly wish you all peace and tranquility and your family is in my families prayers.
I never had the honor of meeting, Dr. Holditch, but I have heard glowing reports of his many, many achievements from his sister, Diane, who often bragged, lovingly about his accomplishments in life professionally, as an Aggie, and as a person. May God comfort all of your family with fond memories.
I first met Dr.Holditch in the Beijing SPE conference March 1986 when I asked him a lot of questions on hydraulic fracturing with my broken English. After about 30 min back and forth Q&A, he said why not come to Texas A&M for a PhD degree so that many questions could be addressed. So I came to A&M in Jan 1989 to pursuit my PhD under The guidance of Dr. Holditch. Since then, he had been my great mentor and friend. Whenever he got a chance, he always joked that it took Hongjie 3 years to take a boat to cross the Pacific Ocean to A&M.
My wife and I always appreciate Dr. Holditch‘s help and mentorship.
We are shocked by the news and can’t still believe that Steve passed away. We are greatly saddened that we can’t see Steve and talk to Steve anymore.
We would like express our deepest sympathy and condolences to Ann, Katie, Abbie, and the rest of Steve’s family.
We are so sorry that we lost a great member of The Aggie family.
Ann and family, Quendy and I send our deepest condolences to you. Our friendship with Steve goes back almost 50 years. And not long after meeting Steve we met you. Over that period this developed into a very special friendship.
What a shock it was to learn of his passing. Unbelievable!!!
Our hearts go out to all of you. You are in our hearts, thoughts and prayers
Quendy and Ralph Veatch
Ànn, I am so sorry. Steve will be missed by Aggies everywhere. He truly lived the Aggie Code. May you find comfort in sweet memories.
Love,
Shirley and Edd Hargett
I am so sorry for your loss. Steve set the bar high for many to follow and to achieve greatness! Sending prayers and hugs.
Terribly sad news, Steve was a good and stalwart friend, sincerest condolences to his family.
Dear Abbie, I address this to you because I know and love you but it is meant for you and your entire family. I am so sorry for your loss of your Father. No words can express what you are feeling right now but just know that you are loved and many people are praying for your family to find peace and comfort in the coming months. You and your sister were very blessed to call this man “Dad”. May he Rest In Peace, love and hugs, Judy French and family
Your loss is felt by many and I am certain more than you know.
May God carry your family through this difficult time in life’s journey.
Sincerely and Respectfully,
Roy Yates
Our industry lost a great source of intelligence with Steve’s passing.Thoughts and prayers be with his family that he was so fond of.
I knew Steve when I worked in College Station in the oil and gas business and on the golf course. Coincidentally I also worked worked with him at Schlumberger. Always the truly professional engineer, he gladly shared his knowledge and opinions freely. My deepest sympathy to the family and thankful for the great memories.
I am so sad to hear of Steve’s death. Sending my love and prayers to all the family but especially Ann, Cindy and Jerry. May the peace of Christ be with you.
Our deepest sympathy to Ann, Katie, Abbie and the entire family. Steve was a true professional in business and academia, a gentleman, respected at all levels. He was a caring and loving man that epitomized Aggie Core Values and personal commitment.
May God’s Grace and the thoughts and prayers of so many comfort the family.
Butch & Judy Kamps
My deep condolences to his family. Excellent Professor and human being, beautiful memories come to mind since his office in TAMU was in front of the EOR Laboratory, and from time to time he came to talk with students about oil and life. God bless him to his family and his friends.
My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Holditch. A true giant of the oil and gas industry. May he rest in peace.
I had Dr. Holditch for Production and Completions class as a senior at Texas A&M. One of the best classes and professors I had. He was very clear and well versed in his classes, and I appreciated his willingness to explain everything. He was a true gem in the engineering world and will be missed. I extend my deepest condolences.
Sorry to hear of his passing.
My sincere condolences to the Holditch family. Dr Holditch was such an inspiration to me. He was my first professor for my Freshman PetE-101 class in 1979 and many more till I graduated in 1983. He set tough standards which made us better engineers. I am so thankful and honored to have him as my professor.
My sincerest condolences to the Holditch family. I had the privilege to work with him when I recently was the Berg-Hughes Center Director at TAMU and thanks to his efforts we were able to succeed with a large industry project. He was among few engineers that understood the value of integrating geosciences and engineering. I know he will leave a lasting legacy at Texas A&M and the petroleum engineering profession world wide. He was a truly unique and talented individual and will be missed by many
Deep condolences to the family of Dr. Holditch. I met him in 2006 and was honored to finish my Masters’ thesis under him. He is an inspiration to me and a lot of engineers like me in the Oil & Gas industry. May his soul Rest in Peace!
My since condolences to the Holditch family. I got to know Steve professionally through his work in SPE and with the PE Dept. at A&M. He was a frequent collaborator and friend to many here at IHS Markit (formerly IHS Energy) over the years. He was a passionate educator and touched so many lives through his roles in both SPE and A&M. Steve seemed to know everyone in the industry! I expect there are few others like him today who have had such a profound impact on the oil and gas industry. He will be greatly missed, but his legacy will live on for generations.
My deepest condolences to the family of Dr. Steve Holditch. He was a legend in our industry and set high standards for us to follow. He was an amazing teacher and business manager. His role in SPE as President will be remembered forever. With his passing, there is surely a void created in our industry. He will be missed dearly.
Sincerely and respectfully,
Ganesh Thakur
I am so saddened to hear of your loss. Dr. Holditch was a professor of mine, very early in his teaching career, and I always respected the way he treated his students. After graduation I had occasion to visit with him from time to time at various SPE functions, and he was always easy to talk to and had a great sense of humor. He will be greatly missed in the industry that he served, but he will be missed the most by you, his family. My thoughts and prayers are with you during this difficult season of loss. May God draw near to you and comfort you as only He can.
Walter F. Tehan, Class of 1980
Steve and I served together in his years at Schlumberger and I can say it was a real pleasure to get to know and work with him. We were appointed Fellows at about the same time and shared a number of great experiences in this role. He was a wonderful person in all respects and he will be missed.
We will sure miss Steve. We served as department heads at the same time and I always enjoyed working with him.
I am so very sorry for your loss! Dr. Holditch was new to teaching when I started at A&M in 1977, and we stayed in touch off and on throughout all the years, even both working at Schlumberger for a time too. The Oil and Gas Industry has lost a titan, but our loss is Heaven’s gain. Until we see you again…
Jeannine Boubel Smith
Class of 1981
Please accept my sincere condolences to Ann and the rest of his family on the lost of Steve Holditch. I was fortunate to have worked with Steve during my tenure as Executive Director of The Academy of Medicine, Engineering & Science of Texas, and will always remember him fondly.
Extremely sad news. Dr Holditch was a great mentor, both professionally and personally and showed the world what it means to have a solid character with integrity. He will be missed dearly. We have lost a great pillar in the industry and academia.
Deepest condolences to the Holditch family.
Dr Holditch was a role model for so many people: he valued education, community, family, and faith. He exemplified ingenuity, hard work, service, and philanthropy. He made a true impact across all avenues of life, and he will be greatly missed. My sincere condolences to his family and friends. Know that my life is just one of many that was made better because of him, and I will proudly answer ‘Here’ when his name is called at Muster.
Gig ‘em
Please accept the condolences of our family on the passing of Dr Stephen Allen Holditch. I have many fond memories of Stephen from playing golf with him in China; seeing and visiting with him in Dhahran, Saudi Arabia; seeing him and visiting with him at many professional conferences all over the world and especially, all of our undergraduate years at A&M while in the Petroleum Engineering Dept. Our prayers go out to all the family. May he live forever in your hearts.
Jimmy
So sorry to hear of Steve’s passing. MaryAnn and I enjoyed his company at SPE Board meetings. His characteristic pleasant personality and willingness to help others made him a charming friend. May God grant him peaceful rest and may God bless members of his family and all his many friends and colleagues as we mourn his passing. Roy Koerner
Debbie and I have your family in our prayers in this time of grief and sadness. Having known Steve for over 50 years, it is hard to find the right words to express the sorrow and pain at this news. He was always a natural leader who was blessed with innate knowledge beyond the norm. Steve was a man of success always, before he received his first degree and knew exactly which path in petroleum engineering he would take. His contributions to A&M and to the petroleum industry are manifold and his mark will be felt for a long time. Most importantly, I know that Ann and his family will have a “hole in their hearts” longer than can be imagined due to the love he showered on all of them. His friends will all miss the smart, direct, honest, and candid opinions of this man. Truly DISTINGUISHED ALUMNI but most of all distinguished husband, dad, friend to many, and outstanding business professional among all his peers. May God continue to bless his family!
Hector and Debbie Gutierrez of El Paso, Texas (Class of 1969)
Steve, a ’69 classmate was a remarkable person in every facet of his life. While we were not close buddies, I knew him well enough to know that he took his profession and his love for everything TAMU seriously. I am truly proud to have known Steve, and will simply say, you were called home way too soon. But, God has a purpose and a plan for all of us. God bless and Gig ’em!
Prof. Holditch – This is the true passing of greatness into glory at a tender age of 72!. I was his student and later had the fortune of being assigned an office next to his after graduation. He would visit the office on some Saturdays and find me with one of my twin boys in a cradle on top my desk. He always came right in to say hi, asked how the baby is faring and gave a few words of encouragement.
From a distance, Prof. Holditch seemed to be a tough, no-nonsense Professor, but if you truly knew him, he was kind, caring and eager to help his students. He was a role model for many students and will be missed dearly.
To his immediate family, I say thank you for sharing him with us. May The Lord guide you all through this difficult time of grieving. I pray for his soul to rest in perfect peace, Amen.
Nita & I just learned of Steve’s untimely passing today (August 12th). We are so sorry to learn that and offer condolences & prayers to Ann, Katie, Abie and families.
I deeply admired Steve when we worked together on the Board of the Research Valley Partnership (now the Brazos Valley Economic Development Corporation). His intelligence, and no-nonsense style made me perk up anytime he was talking because I respected him so. My condolences to Ann (who graciously welcomed me and others into their home during a particularly stormy day on the Traditions golf course). On behalf of our whole team at Village Foods & Pharmacy, we send our thoughts, prayers, and love.
Ann, Diane and I are so very sorry for your loss. I was blessed to visit with you and Steve at our reunion in April and I know that all of our classmates feel so blessed to have been with you and Steve so recently. We will not be able to attend the funeral but know that our thoughts and prayers will be with you and your family, as they have been for the last couple of weeks. All our love, Diane and Glenn.
My deepest and sincere condolences for your loss. Please know that Dr. Holditch had great and positive impact on the lives of so many of his students and workers, the PETE Department, the community of College Station and the Industry. I had the pleasure to know him as his student and as an employee. He was a positive, energetic, can-do, person who enable and stimulated me to do more. He will be missed. May you find comfort and peace.
My heartfelt condolence to the Holditch family.
Dr Holditch was the reason I accepted a position at Texas A&M. I got to work with him very closely for two and half years, but learnt a lot – both as a scientist and as a human being. A few weeks back he called me in his office and talked about his forthcoming books with great pride and satisfaction. He gave me a folder, marked “Shales – Bouma”. It was the original proposal by Arnold Bouma on the creation of “Center for Shale Studies” at Texas A&M in 2007, similar to Crisman – Berg Hughes Centers. He liked creative things and was action driven. He will be remembered as a great friend, mentor and a human being.
–Mukul Bhatia
Abby,
I am so very sorry for your loss. May God bless you and your family during this difficult time and provide you comfort and peace. May your father Rest in Peace.
Steve was a wonderful man, a great teacher and motivator and had a great streak of humor that was deeply needed many times going through the grind to graduate. He could challenge you, without chastising and comfort you when you weren’t quite there. So sad I didn’t get the last few words of wisdom from him. I worked at the department when DVG became the department head and moved all the profs into their new offices. Steve was just getting his first nice spot close to Doug.
Ann, Katie and Abbie
I am so sorry to hear of Steve’s passing. He was a wonderful man, husband and father. I am in Newport but will remember him at Mass on Wednesday. You are all in my prayers
I knew Steve through SPE and the SPE Foundation. He was extraordinarily intelligent–and wise. Along with that, he was interesting, pleasant and fun to be with. What a loss this is for his family, I wish you the comfort of many fond memories to ease the sorrow. God bless you.
I am deeply sorry about the loss of Dr. Stephen A. Holditch. As you grieve, know that I am remembering and honoring him.
Francisco E Fragachan
My deepest respect to Dr Holditch’s family in this moment of grief and sadness. I had the honor to be his mentee during my masters degree and to have him in my PhD graduation committee. He was a great support for me and my family for several years. Great professional, professor and friend. A great and solid model role for a of us in TAMU. Rest In Peace, dr and thanks so much for all your support and dedication.
We remember the very good years in College Station during our PhD, when we got classes with Professor Holditch and even better we got his teachings about to be better professionals and people. His departure saddens our heart as we have lost very close friend. May GOD have Steve in His Peace.
Ann,
Signe and I have many good memories from our stay in College Station 1973-1975. The second year I had common office with Steve and we became PhD classmates. He was always open and kind and a true Texan gentleman.
We are sorry for your loss.
Signe and Svein Skjaeveland, Stavanger, Norway.
Rare is the man who touched the lives of so many. Great and brilliant scholars can often can come off as aloof, but Steve was genuinely such a great friend to so many…he truly had a heart of gold….and a pretty good golfer to boot,
There won’t be any double bogeys in heaven!
Ann and family, I know you are hurting, but his amazing legacy will live on until you see him again face to face!
I didn’t realize it then, but given the perspective of time, it was an honor to serve with Steve on Battalion Staff during our Junior and Senior years at A&M. My sincerest condolences to his extended family.
Steve was in Bucaramanga in the Reservoir Engineering Specialization Program between the Colombian Petroleum Institute and the University of Texas A&M and my family and I had the opportunity to meet that wonderful person. After that, Ecopetrol sent me to Texas A&M to continue my Master Degree studies and Steve was my advisor, my dad in USA. I always remember the phrase he used when I arrived at his office “What can I do for you, Rodolfo?” Steve was a visionary and I had the opportunity to work with him in a new knowledge field such as the use of artificial intelligence and multivariate statistics to solve reservoir engineering problems. The United States gave me an O1 visa (Outstanding Visa) thanks to all his mentoring work not only when I was getting my Master and Ph.D. degrees but also during the rest of my career. We got to love and appreciate like great friends. I know that Steve’s death is a great pain for his whole family, all his friends, the entire oil industry, for my family and me. We didn’t expect this. We always hope that our loved ones are with us forever. When a relative or friend dies, we feel excruciating pain, but the Bible gives us real comfort, the resurrection (2 Corinthians 1: 3, 4). We can have faith in the resurrection because, Jesus, the son of God, resurrected Lazarus (John 11: 1-44) and others, when he was on earth, to show the power He has over death. The Bible says that Jehovah will resurrect all our loved ones who have died. His servant Job was certain of this when he said: “You will call, and I will answer you. You will long for the work of your hands ”(Job 14: 13-15). I’m sure that we will meet Steve in the near future to live forever in paradise and share with him all of his wonderful qualities. My wife Elizabeth, my sons David & Jonathan and I want to express our deepest sympathy and condolences to Steve’s entire family.
I am so very sad for the Holditch Family….You are all in my prayers.
Dr. Holditch was a hero of mine. While attending my sophomore year at TAME PE department in 2009, I was looking for an internship for the 2010 summer. I had just transferred into the department and missed the opportunity to land one in the fall semester. Desperate to support my wife and 2 kids while attending school, I looked for any O&G industry job in the College Station/Bryan area. I applied to all companies be it operators or service.
In December 2009, I sent Dr. Holditch an email explaining my circumstances and constraints. I received no reply from him and by February the following year I had pretty much given up that any job would be landed for the summer. At one of the lowest times of my tenure at TAMU, I received a phone call from an industry board member of the PE department offering me a job. He was the COO of a company in the local area and offered a field internship paying enough for me to put back some money and help support my family for the following school year. There was no interview, just an offer.
I later found out that Dr. Holditch had requested this industry board member to hire me at a board meeting. He provided me a foot into the door of the industry. I will always give him credit for that first job in this amazing O&G industry.
At my desk at work now, I keep a print out of two slides he made titled, “Keys to Success in Petroleum Industry” and I often look at it and think of him. He was an amazing man and will remain a hero of mine not just for what he gave me, but for so many of the values he indirectly instilled and for what he stood for.
My condolences to the family and the many people he positively impacted.
I have known Steve for more than 48 years. He was the most honest person I have ever known. I can say that my 6 years at Holditch was the best job I ever had. I had a customer offer me a large sum of money to start my company-it was the hardest decision I ever made. I never told Steve but if he had asked me to stay I would have.
With all the divisive things in the world today, Steve was a rock–he changed my life forever.
God bless you Steve
My condolences to the family. I had the pleasure of working with Steve on several research projects while at GRI. He was so generous with his time and knowledge. He was a great engineer and person and an Aggie to the core.
Steve Wolhart ‘80
Please accept my condolences, I will miss Steve a lot but he is not gone. He gave so much for the Department, the students, friends, profession, and over all his family, that his legacy will last for ever. We will always love Steve. Unfortunately I am leaving the country today and will be unable to visit. Many thanks for all you help and your example!
To Abbie and all the family of Dr. Holditch:
Heaven is now a more precious place to you personally because your Dad (husband, grandfather, brother) has gone before you. You have not lost him, because you know exactly where he is. My prayers for each of you is that the Lord will comfort you and bring you great assurance in the days ahead that you will be reunited in the future. God bless you all!
Cheryl Free
Our deepest sympathy. May he rest in peace. We will miss his wisdom and his wit
Anne and family, my deepest sympathy. Steve was a mentor, a leader and a friend for myself and many others. He definitely had a substantial, positive and lasting impact on my life. He is and will be sorely missed.
We were so sad to hear of Steve’s passing. He was an outstanding engineer and a credit to himself, Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering, the College of Engineering, and his family. He was competent, caring, and involved. Our condolences to his entire family, especially Ann and Abbie and Ken Walsh.
He will be missed.
Joe & Linda Fowler
My heartfelt condolences to the Holditch family. I met Steve when I was the Director of Finance & Administration at the Society of Petroleum Engineers in the 90’s and Steve was on the Board of Directors (and President). I greatly enjoyed working with him. He was a fine man, a proud Aggie and very, very intelligent. I still have my deer hide from La Paloma. My thoughts and prayers are with the family.
I grew up on same block of Gramercy in San Antonio as the Holditch family. I was closer to age to Jerry than Stephen. I do remember the family as Aggies. Fast forward many years and when we got season tickets to Aggie football, Stephen & his family were sitting next to us.
I was so sad to hear of his passing. Condolences to the entire family.
Dr. Holditch was a truly great man. His professional accomplishments speak for themselves, and are great, but he was also an amazing human being. I was lucky enough to be his student, and later his friend. He was an exceptionally decent and compassionate man who always tried to help others and always expressed his love for his family. I am lucky to have known him. My deepest condolences to his family, the Aggie petroleum engineering family and everyone he influenced. My he rest in eternal peace.
There’s a reason we cross paths with greatness, such as Steve. Our paths crossed when he pushed to open up experiential learning; matching Industry with Academia. As the first with George V. to have this honor, we in PETE quickly led TAMU with phenomenal Industry leaders coming to the department. But no matter your standing, all who crossed paths with Steve were touched by his greatness; as he made you realize anything was possible as long as you pushed your talents, spiced life with humor and gave credit to those around you. My condolences to Mrs. Holditch and family; and, sincere thanks for sharing Steve with all of us.
My sincere condolences to Dr. Holditch family. My God comfort you during your time of need.
Dr. Holditch left behind a legacy in the Oil and Gas Industry and at Texas A&M Petroleum Engineering Department. I was fortunate to have him as a thesis advisor and mentor.
Dear Holditch Family,
On behalf of those who worked in the New Orleans S. A. Holditch & Associates office please accept our sincere condolences. The opportunity be to a part of his company, work with and learn from Steve and the many professionals there had a dramatic and positive impacted on our careers. Steve’s positive and pleasant disposition made him a pleasure to work for and with; rarely questioning our methods; but was always there to defend it. He believed his organization could solve any problem. With his counsel, we believed it too.
Dr. Holditch was my PhD Advisor as well as my first employer at S. A. Holditch and Associates for 15 years in College Station office. His enormous help in having me established in the US will never be forgotten. I received Fellowship from his company as a student and was later absorbed as a full time employee. He gave me the opportunity to prove myself. He was a great personality and his honesty, modesty, and sincerity stood out in his character. He was always happy with a smile on his face, even during the extreme downturn of Petroleum Industry when profit became marginal. He was always optimistic. I never saw him being angry or raising his voice. He was a people’s person and well-liked by his friends, associates, and students. He was a great leader in the true sense, firmly believing that “leadership is all about how you serve and respect your employees, not about getting position and rank.” I consider him as the best supervisor / employer / company CEO of all times and was very fortunate to get to know him as I entered Texas A&M. Met him many times since joining Saudi Aramco where Steve also served as a Steering Committee Member of the Aramco Research Center for a number of years. He will be truly missed. The industry has suffered a great loss. My sincere condolences to Steve’s family members.
My condolences to the Holditch family. With so many international sponsored students seeking to obtain their petroleum degrees at TAMU, Steve and I had many shared stories of their challenges and accomplishments during my tenure as Director of the Sponsored Student Program office. Although my memories of Steve will mostly be related to our professional association, I will never forget my being selected to serve as a juror in federal court where two oil companies had been in litigation for ten years. Two expert witnesses were TAMU faculty…one for. the defense and the other for the plaintiff. Even knowing this, the judge would not let me be excused. Steve was one of those witnesses. I chuckled as he presented his testimony knowing that he had funded several graduate students on that project. His side ultimately won after three exhausting weeks.
Steve’s contributions to the discipline will be missed. May he Rest In Peace.
To the family of Dr. Holditch:
Please accept my condolences on your loss of this extraordinary man.
John Welsh
PETE 79
I am deeply saddened by the loss of Dr. Holditch. He taught me and so many about hydraulic fracturing principles and what it takes to make it a success! He was a mentor, advisor, coauthor, supporter, motivator, and a visionary, you will be dearly missed sir. May your soul rest in peace! Wish all family members, friends, and students around the world courage in this difficult time.
Thank you for all that you have done.
Raj Malpani
PETE’ 06
My deepest condolences for his passing. He co-edited the unconventional resource handbook with me in 2015.
Zee Ma
Please accept our deepest condolences. What a great loss, but how great to have been called his friend, mentee, coworker, etc. May our Lord welcome him with open arms and console his loved ones.
Mrs. Holditch and family,
My thoughts are with you during your time of grief. Although I only had the pleasure of Dr. Holditch’s company on very few occasions, it meant more than words can express. He gave of his time to come to Houston with Doyle Sanders to bid a final farewell to my father at his memorial service in October 2014, where he personally presented a Class of ’69 flag that was flown in my father’s honor by the Corps of Cadets Color Guard. Not long after, he graciously extended an invitation to my mother and I to stand in for my father at the 45th reunion dinner, an honor for which we are eternally grateful.
From my family to yours, we extend prayers for peace and comfort in the coming days.
Sincere condolences,
Natalie Webster
Daughter of Cpt. R.A. Webster, Jr., U.S. Army, Ret. (Class of ‘69; Company F-1 Cadet) and Darlene
Our deepest sympathy. May he rest in peace.
Dear Dr. Steve Holditch Family,
I am sorry of hearing of this tremendous loss too late to attend the visitation and/or services as I happened to be on the other side of the world. My apologies. Steve was a rare breed of a human being. I was acquainted with Steve only professionally. I served with him on the U.S. Petroleum Engineering Department Head group and on the Society of Petroleum Engineers Board of Directors. we corresponded occasionally. We last visited at the SPE Awards Banquet in October 2018 in Dallas.
As we both had mutual interest in well completions technologies, I believe his contributions to the industry and profession will be long lasting and well recognized. I am also aware of his devotion and reverence to his Alma mater and his co-workers and students, which is well known and legendary. I do however, wanted to recite one quality of Steve’s that perhaps not known to as many. Through my association with him of over 30 years, I was always appreciative and awestruck for his sense of justice and humanity that he exhibited without hesitation. I came to know that you knew where he stood on an issue and there was no need to watch your back. He would give you the shirt off his back for the cause he believed in and was just. I know this as a personal experience.
I will cherish his friendship. What a loss! Rest in piece my friend.
With our deepest sympathies,
Ali & Feri Ghalambor
I was shocked and saddened to learn of the passing of Dr. Holditch. He and my father, the late Dr. Robert (Bob) Berg, were great friends and collaborators. Their friendship demonstrated that geologists and petroleum engineers shared common ground and could work together in the search for and extraction of oil and gas resources. Their collaborations benefited students in both fields. Stephen was also highly supportive of the Berg-Hughes Petroleum Center for which the Berg family is very grateful. He was a giant in the field of petroleum engineering and his knowledge and optimism will be sorely missed.
Ann and Family, my deepest sympathy to you. Steve touched so many lives including mine. I joined Holditch & Associates in 1990 and worked for and with Steve for over 15 years. He was one of the hardest working and wisest men I ever knew. He wanted us to be the best we could be. I loved his saying “that we reserve the right to get smarter” and he said that often over the years. That taught me a lot about humility and being honest with ourselves and our clients. He was very loyal to family, employees and especially his beloved Aggies. I texted him many times over the years during various Aggie sporting events and he seemed to be at all the big games whether it was football, baseball or basketball. He always asked about my family, so I knew he genuinely cared. He was a truly blessed man and a blessing to everyone he took under his wing. We’ve lost a special person, but we will see him again.
As a long-time staff member at the Society of Petroleum Engineers, I worked with Steve on many of his volunteer activities, especially in the area of publications. He was so great to work with. His professionalism and his dedication to building the industry’s body of knowledge were an inspiration. He will be missed.
I met Steve almost 50 years ago when he came to work at Shell. It was obvious early on that he was going to have a very successful engineering career. Although I have not had contact with him in many years, I have tracked his professional success. I send my sincere condolences to his family.