Tommie Darden Rape
September 18, 1950Â ~Â August 2, 2023Â (age 72)
Tommie D. Rape, beloved husband, father, and brother, passed away on August 2, 2023 surrounded by his family.
Tommie was born September 18, 1950 in Pittsburgh, Texas to Mildred and Brison Rape. He experienced the best that small town life could offer as he grew up on a ranch in East Texas. Tommie was practically a ‘twin’ to his younger brother and best friend, Rickie, with an age difference of just 11 months and nine days. They grew up in a Methodist church in the country where Tommie, still in elementary school, led his congregation as the song leader. They later started going to church in Pittsburgh. His talents in sports and music were echoed in the classroom, where he excelled in school.
Tommie graduated from Texas A&M University - Commerce in 1973 with a triple major in physics, mathematics, and computer science. Two years later he received his Masters in geophysics. He was a proud member of Kappa Alpha and had many fraternity brothers with whom he forged lifelong friendships. After his graduation he worked for three years as a geophysicist with Sun Oil Co. in Dallas. He then went to work for Exxon, where he spent the first five years living and working in London. Moving to Houston in 1983, he continued his career with Exxon/ExxonMobil for 33 ½ years.
Tommie’s expertise with ExxonMobil took him around the world, with projects spanning six continents. Tommie held several supervisory and technical advisory positions in geophysical applications. He specialized in rock property predictions in both exploration and production settings. He was regarded as an expert, travelled world-wide to resolve many exploration ambiguities. He also served as a mentor to others: recruiting, hiring and developing new employees. He retired in 2012.
After retirement, Tommie spent time consulting and was an invited lecturer at Rice University and the University of Houston. Tommie was a contributor to- and editor of- the Geophysical Society of Houston journal. He served as President in 2017. His professional affiliations included the SEG, AAPG, and EAGE. He also served on the Advisory Board of the Physics and Astronomy Department of Texas A&M University - Commerce. The school honored him in 2017 as a distinguished Alumni Ambassador.
Tommie was most proud of his family. He met the love of his life, Pamela, in 1984. They were married in 1988. Tommie had a son, Logan, in 1993. He adored Logan, coached him in basketball and baseball, was active in Logan’s cub scout troop, and supported Logan through many church activities at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church of Houston. He loved his Sunday school class and Friday night poker with his Sunday school buddies. He was an avid tennis player and a fearless opponent. He was well-known for his overhead volley and killer serve.
In a separate announcement, Tommie will be laid to rest at Glenwood Cemetery in Houston with a memorial service to take place at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church of Houston