Marvin Herbert Hester

Marvin Herbert Hester, formerly of Elgin, passed away on January 22, 2023, in Keller, Texas. He was born to Thomas Stephen and Mattie Corine Hester in Douglass, Texas on July 3, 1932. Marvin was raised on his family's farm until 1942, when the family moved to Alto, Texas.  After graduating from Alto High School, Marvin enlisted in the U. S. Navy in April 1953. After basic training in San Diego, he served on the aircraft carriers USS Randolph and USS Forrestal, and finally on the destroyer USS Brownson. While on the Randolph, he took the opportunity to tour France, Italy, and Greece.  While serving on the Brownson, his ship was among the last to pass through the Suez Canal at the beginning of the Suez crisis in October 1956. He was honorably discharged from the Navy in April 1957 as a Radarman 2nd Class. After working as a pipeliner, Marvin briefly enrolled in the University of Texas at Austin. He married Mary Evelyn Payne on September 19, 1959. In 1960, he went to work for UT as a communications technician. In this role, he set up PA systems for US presidents and other dignitaries, carried walkie-talkies to the police during the 1966 Tower shooting, and ensured the quality of the sound at Longhorn football games.  Later, he was the supervisor of the telephone shop, overseeing the installation of the first internet cables at the University (among the first in the world).  Marvin retired from UT in 1994.Marvin loved to read and was fascinated by history and genealogy. He spent many hours researching and documenting family history.  He also loved spending time with his family and treating his granddaughters.Marvin was preceded in death by his wife, Mary Evelyn, and by his siblings: brothers Theodore (Ace) Hester, Thomas Sterling Hester, and Roscoe Learneer Hester, and sisters Jo Bobbie Corn, Hazel Brunet, Jonnie Mae Gilcrease, and Tommie Jean Anderson. He is survived by his sons, Stephen Hermes (Anne) Hester of Houston and Daniel Marvin (Julie) Hester of Keller.  He is also survived by three beloved grandchildren and many nieces and nephews.

A memorial service will be held for Marvin at 11:00 AM on Saturday, February 18, 2023, at the O. T. Allen and Son Funeral Home in Alto, Texas.  Inurnment will follow at the Hester Cemetery in Forest, Texas.

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