Obituary of Ted Vernon Salyer

Ted Vernon Salyer, 90, of Tyler, passed away October 4, 2019 in Tyler after a brief illness. Funeral services will be held at 10:00 AM on Thursday, October 10 at Cottle Funeral Home Chapel. Pastor David Dykes will officiate, with internment to follow at Pinecrest Cemetery under the direction of Cottle Funeral Home, Troup.

Ted was born in Texon, Texas, in the Plymouth Oil Camp Hospital on June 29, 1929. His birthplace was in the shadow of the famous Santa Rita No. 1 oil well. As a young boy his Dad was transferred to Sinton, Texas. He attended Sinton High School and played the saxophone in the band. He graduated in 1948, and then attended Kilgore Junior College, where he met Joyce. He took a break in his schooling to serve the USA in the U.S. Army and was stationed in Japan during part of the Korean War. Upon returning home Ted and Joyce got married and moved to Austin. He attended the University of Texas and graduated in 1956 with a Geology degree.

Dowell Oilfield Services hired Ted out of UT and moved them out to Kermit, Texas. During their 9 years there Gary and Scott was born. The family then moved overseas for 4 years, first to Trinidad, West Indies and Caracas, Venezuela. Dowell Schlumberger brought him back stateside in late 1968 to work in Kilgore. Ted served as an assistant scoutmaster while in Kilgore.

The next move was to Tyler in the summer of 1970. He and his partner, Homer Ward, bought a small asphalt company and named it L&L Asphalt. The ‘L&L” came about from Ted and Homer’s wives’ names. Ted did everything at L&L in the early days, and all those nights with drawings laid out across the dining room table paid off. Ted sold L&L in 1983. He was proud of their continued success which continues to this day.

In addition to his firm, a big part of their life back then was Green Acres Baptist Church. He enjoyed watching Church League softball. He also loved deer hunts with Scott and summer trips to northern New Mexico with his family.

Joyce and Ted moved to Troup in 1983 and he once again worked in the oil field. He developed an award-winning herd of Black Angus, which he absolutely loved. Joyce, not so much!

While residing in Troup, they were members of First Baptist Church Troup. Upon his move back to Tyler, Ted joined Green Acres Baptist Church once again.

He is preceded in death by his wife of 63 years, Joyce; his father and mother, W.D. and Ava Cox Salyer; and stepmother, Nina Robertson Salyer; and his brother and sister in law, Don and Lorene.

Survivors include his sons and daughters in law, Scott and Toni of Carrollton and Gary and Rita of Troup; and grandchildren Trent and Peyton.

Pallbearers are Gregg Ripka, Glenn Salyer, Dale McQueen, John Irving,  Trent Salyer, and Rod Salyer.

A big thank you to the folks at Atria Copeland; and Traditions Hospice, Hospice of East Texas, and Meadow Lake for his care in the last 2 months.

Memorials may be made to the American Cancer Society. Visitation will be held Wednesday evening the 9^th at Cottle Funeral home from 5:30 – 7:30 pm.