The Garden City community is mourning the loss of Kansas oil and gas tycoon and philanthropist Cecil O’Brate, who passed away on Saturday at the age of 95.
O’Brate was a farmer and banker who founded the O’Brate Foundation, which has awarded more than seven-million-dollars in college scholarships mainly to people who were economically disadvantaged or who grew up in the foster care system.
O’Brate attended Oklahoma A&M University, now Oklahoma State University, and the new baseball stadium at OSU is named for him. He returned to Kansas in 1948 to help his grandfather with a farm and ranch operation. He purchased Palmer Manufacturing and Tank, Incorporated and owned farm implement dealerships and banks in western Kansas. He founded American Warrior, Inc, which is now one of the largest independent oil and gas producers in Kansas. He has also invested in real estate development projects in the Garden City area, where he lived.
Funeral services will be at 2 p.m. Friday, January 26th at First United Methodist Church in Garden City.
Kansas Senator Jerry Moran issued a statement on the news of O’Brate’s passing:
“Cecil was a farmer, entrepreneur, businessman, philanthropist, and a good friend and mentor. He was a strong advocate for southwest Kansas and held an extraordinary commitment to help others succeed. Through his investments in the southwest Kansas community, support for various organizations in Kansas and across the country, and generous scholarships, Cecil and his wife, Frances, have positively transformed countless lives. I have no doubt the O’Brate Foundation will continue to provide educational opportunities to Kansans for years to come.
To nearly everyone Cecil met, he would share that there was no substitute for an honest day’s work, an inquisitive mind, and a desire to always do more. His life was a testament to these principles, lived out each day with authenticity and purpose.
Robba and I are praying for his wife of 76 years, Frances, his four sons, Patrick, Michael, Steve, and Mark, and the entire O’Brate family.”
[ photo: Oklahoma State University – Facebook ]
