Clinton Ewing Ables

Clinton Ewing Ables, "Clint", was born on January 26, 1940, in O'Donnell, Texas, to William Clinton "W.C." Ables and Geraldine Ewing Ables. This being the last stages of the Great Depression, the young family soon moved from the Dust Bowl of West Texas to the Gulf Coast, seeking employment. After W.C. secured employment at the Brown Shipbuilding Company at the Port of Houston, the family settled in the Denver Harbor area of Southeast Houston. At the age of 11, Clint got his first job, throwing the Houston Chronicle in his neighborhood. At 14, he graduated to selling shoes after school and at night at Weiner's Department Store. He purchased his first car at 14 and sold children's shoes at Paul Parrot and Margolis Shoe Stores. In August of 1957, Clint graduated early from Stephen F. Austin High School and set out for Baylor University. He attended classes in the morning and sold women's shoes at Monnig's Department Store in the evening. After two years at Baylor, Clint could no longer afford the tuition and returned to Houston to attend night school at The University of Houston (UH). Clint was soon hired as a Tax Accountant for Hughes Tool Company while attending UH. Clint graduated from UH in May 1964, with majors in History and Accounting. Clint then entered UH Law School, taking classes at night while working full time for Hughes Tool Company. During his first year of law school, Clint earned his CPA certificate. He was also a member of The Order of the Barons and served as Associate Editor of the Houston Law Review. Clint graduated from UH Law School in January 1968 and moved to Las Vegas, Nevada, to work as a Tax Lawyer for the Nevada Division of Hughes Tool Company. While at Hughes, Clint participated in the negotiations leading to the acquisition of several hotels, casinos, real estate and other properties, for the Howard Hughes interests. It was at Hughes that Clint became interested in practicing international law after handling transactions with Hughes subsidiaries in Ireland, Canada, Mexico and various parts of South America. In 1969, Clint was offered a position as Tax Lawyer with Dresser Industries, Inc., handling international tax affairs for Dresser which had operations in more than 100 countries. Upon completion of his final transaction as General Counsel at Dresser- the merger with Halliburton- Clint elected to take early retirement on December 31, 1998, after over 30 years of service with Dresser Industries. During Clint's stay in Las Vegas, Howard Hughes gave Clint his first set of golf clubs and a membership to the Desert Inn Country Club. Thus began Clint's enduring love of the game of golf. Another passion was fly fishing which Clint shared with several close friends. His favorite fly-fishing destination was the Lodge at Palisades Creek on the South Fork of the Snake River in Irwin, Idaho. He and close friend, David Smith, fished there for over 30 years. After a valiant battle with bladder cancer, Clint passed away on November 4, 2024. Clint is survived by his wife of 41 years, Jan Boaz Ables; daughter and husband, Dana and Fred Morales; granddaughters, Olivia and Natalie Morales; sister and husband, Maggie Inell and Ted Whiteman; brother-in-law and wife, Joseph C. and Eileen Boaz; and numerous loving nieces, nephews, cousins and dear friends. Clint was preceded in death by his parents and a son, Scott Ables. The family would like to thank St. Joseph Hospice and Creekside Retirement Community for their loving and attentive care of Clint in his final days. In lieu of flowers, the family respectfully requests donations to Rita B. Huff Humane Society of Walker County or a charity of your choice. To honor Clint's wishes, there will be no funeral services. Memorial condolences may be made to the family at www.shmfh.com.

Clinton Ewing Ables

January 26, 1940 - November 4, 2024