Henry Bartell Zachry Jr. ‘54 was a lot of things to Texas A&M University — distinguished and outstanding alumnus, Corps of Cadets Hall of Honor member and avid supporter.
Zachry, who passed away June 10 at age 86, leaves a legacy of extraordinary leadership, service and support for the College of Engineering. He was a significant force in the construction industry as the leader of the infrastructure company H.B. Zachry Company, which was initially founded by his father and fellow Aggie, H.B. “Pat” Zachry Sr. ’22.
“Bartell Zachry was outstanding in every aspect, an accomplished engineer, wise leader and humble man of integrity,” said Dr. M. Katherine Banks, vice chancellor and dean of the College of Engineering. “He leaves a legacy that will impact many, including this university and the field of civil engineering. He embodied the core value of selfless service and he will be deeply missed by all who knew him.”
Zachry’s unwavering support of the university led him to fund two President's Endowed Scholarships in memory of his father. He and his family, company and foundation also created faculty chairs, professorships and fellowships, and funded many scholarships for exceptional civil engineering students.
In 2005, the Zachry Department of Civil and Environmental Engineering was named in honor of the Zachry family.
Born in 1933, Zachry grew up learning the values of hard work and civic responsibility. He lived in San Antonio for most of his life. After graduating from high school, Zachry followed in his father's footsteps and enrolled at Texas A&M, where he studied civil engineering and was a member of the Corps of Cadets.
After college, he was commissioned as a second lieutenant in the United States Air Force. Having received his pilot's license at 16, he trained as a fighter pilot, which only heightened his lifelong love of airplanes. He was honorably discharged in 1957, then returned to San Antonio to join H.B. Zachry Company.
During his 65-year tenure with H.B. Zachry Company, he did not seek individual recognition but preferred collaborating as part of a team. In terms of the Zachry company's global reach and stability, his accomplishments can be measured objectively in the numerous industry awards he received for excellence in management and construction and in his induction into the Texas Business Hall of Fame in 2000. Zachry's definition of success had little to do with traditional business measures.
He was a beacon of steadiness; his analytical mind and his unshakable patience provided stability at home, at work and in his many civic endeavors. Zachry gave unselfishly to his family and business, and devoted a significant amount of time serving the community, state and nation.
Zachry is survived by his wife of 60 years, Mollie; son John and his wife Laura; son David and his wife Karen Lee; daughter Anne Rochelle and her husband Jeff; daughter Ellen Carrie and her husband Chris; and grandchildren Bart, Joe and Will Zachry; Sam, Olivia and Henry Zachry; David, Thomas, Mollie, Lindsey and Sallie Rochelle; and John, Elizabeth and Andrew Carrie. He is also survived by his sisters Mary Pat Stumberg and Suzanne Word, and his brother Jim Zachry and his wife Nancy, as well as numerous nieces and nephews.