Obituary of Tony Bagwell

Tony Paul Bagwell, age 45 of Manvel, Texas, lost his battle with sarcoma on February 12, 2010. He is survived by his mother, Reba Terrell of Cashion, OK; wife, Charlene Bagwell; son, Cody Dobbs & his wife Staci of Seattle, WA; sister, Amy Broadbent & her husband Lane, and their four children Luke, Cade, Baylee, and Rylee of Cashion, OK; and many aunts, uncles, cousins and friends from all over!! He is preceded in death by his father John Terrell, and his grandparents, Harvey and Bonnie Cain. Tony was born on April 2, 1964 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. His family moved to Weatherford, Oklahoma in July of 1974 where he grew up and graduated from Weatherford High School in 1982. He attended Southwestern Oklahoma State University for 2 years and eventually transferred to Oklahoma State University. There, he earned his Bachelor’s of Science degree in Industrial Engineering in May of 1989. Within the same month of graduating from OSU, Tony began his employment with Reda in Bartlesville, OK. Tony’s work ethic and determination helped him earn the respect and admiration of his supervisors and coworkers. He was a dedicated employee for Reda, which eventually became Schlumberger, for 20 years. Tony invented and was granted a patent on an electroactive polymer pumping system in April of 2008. At the time he was diagnosed with cancer and began his treatment, Tony was working as the IPC Manufacturing Manager at the Sugarland plant. Tony met Charlene Dobbs while working for Reda in Bartlesville after relocating there in 1989. They began dating shortly after, and eventually fell in love. He was blessed to marry the love of his life in March of 2000. Char had a son, Cody, when she and Tony began dating, and Tony and Cody quickly became close allies and shared many common interests. Tony and Char lived in Bartlesville until 2005 when they both accepted transfer positions with Schlumberger to Houston, Texas. Tony was a member of several professional societies including the Society for Industrial Engineers from 1989-1995, APICS from 1993-1997, and the ASQ from 1996-2009. He served as the Treasurer, Vice President, and eventually President for the Tulsa Chapter Institute of Industrial Engineers where the chapter received the Five Star Award. Tony was also happy to lend his expertise as a member of the Technical Advisory Board for Tulsa Junior College for the Manufacturing Technology curriculum and Quality Control Technology curriculum. Tony wrote on his profile page for Schlumberger in his personal statement that, “the principles I admire most are integrity, persistence, and hard work. I believe any obstacle can be overcome by adhering to these values.” He also said, “I enjoy solving problems and find it very rewarding to utilize these skills to improve the world around us. My family is very important to me and a major source of motivation.” I think anyone who knew Tony would say this pretty much sums up his character. Tony was diagnosed with sarcoma cancer of the connective tissue of his abdomen in April 2008. He began treatment at MD Anderson in June of that same year. He battled cancer through chemotherapy and many, many scans and tests of all kinds. His body finally gave out on Friday, February 12, 2010 where he was surrounded by his loving wife, his mother, and two cousins. Tony was blessed to have many family and friends who loved him, came to see him, and help take care of him throughout his illness. Although his battle with cancer was profound, his loved ones will most remember the incredible courage and dignity he exemplified. Among his last words spoken to his family he said, “I love you and at the end of the day that’s all that really matters.” His loved ones find comfort in the fact that Tony is resting and rejoicing in the arms of his Savior, Jesus Christ and is no longer suffering from his debilitating disease. However, they will all miss him greatly because he was a wonderful husband, father, son, brother, uncle, cousin, nephew, and friend. Visitation for Tony will be held on Tuesday, February 16, 2010 at 10:00 am at Pearland Church of Christ, 2217 N. Grand Blvd, Pearland, Texas 77581, 281-485-2436, with a Funeral Service following at 11:00 am. Pastor D.C. Brown will be officiating. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to: The University of Texas, M. D. Anderson Cancer Center, (Sarcoma Center), P.O. Box 4486, Houston, Texas 77210-4486, Phone: (713) 792-3450 or (800) 525-5841, or online at: www.mdanderson.org.