Lanny Ross Freeman

Lanny Ross Freeman, 70, of Beeville, Texas passed away November 11, 2016. Funeral services will be held at Clifton Funeral Home in Clifton on Saturday, November 19, 2016 at 1:30 PM, with Rev. Mary Gean Cope officiating. Burial will follow at Clifton Memorial Park in Clifton.

Lanny was born August 5, 1946 in Clifton to Ross E. and Marinelle Freeman. After the family transferred to Midland in 1959, Lanny graduated from Lee High School there in 1964. During the Vietnam War, he served his country in the United States Air Force in Thailand. He received an Honorable Discharge in May of 1970 as a Technical Sergeant, Commando Special Operations Group. Lanny then relocated to Louisiana, where he began his new job at Gulf Oil Corporation as a tanker truck driver. Upon leaving Gulf in 1973, he returned to Midland and began work as a mud logger for Brine Ad.

In 1975, he relocated to Laredo and began his successful career as an independent geologist in the oil and gas industry. In 1977, he started his own oil and gas exploration company in Corpus Christi. Following his younger brother, Captain George Winston Freeman, D.D.S.' move to Beeville while serving in the United States Navy, Lanny closed his office in Corpus Christi and relocated to Beeville in 1986. Lanny started another successful oil and gas exploration company, Excalibur Ventures, upon getting settled in Beeville that he operated until his retirement in 2011.

Lanny was a world class trophy and big game hunter who traveled the world pursuing his hobby and was a sniper-accurate marksman with any and all guns. He also was an avid classic muscle car and exotic sports car collector-enthusiast.

Anyone who was a friend or acquaintance of Lanny knew of his extraordinary generosity and benevolence toward others. He would literally give the shirt off of his back to even total strangers in need. He rarely asked for repayment of loans and would usually just tell the person to consider it as a gift.

Lanny is survived by his mother, Marinelle Freeman, of Midland; his brothers, Capt. George Winston Freeman, D.D.S. (retired) of Salado, and Shawn Marchman Freeman, of Midland; his uncle Ray Winston Freeman, M.D. (retired) of Hale Center, Texas; two sons, Kevin Lee and John Ross Sousa; four grandsons and various cousins.

Memorials may be made to the Midland Christian School; 2001 Culver Drive; Midland, TX 79705.