Lane Patrick Frizzell, also known as Laner, Slim, or Flaco to many, died peacefully surrounded by his family in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2015 at the age of 63 after a seven-year battle with frontal lobe and temporal dementia.

Lane is survived by his parents, Jack and Pat Frizzell of Abilene, Texas; his wife, Holly Frizzell of Abilene; children Matthew Patrick Frizzell (wife Clare Winfrey Frizzell) of Austin, Texas, and Jennifer Lane Frizzell (fiance; Raul Garcia) of Abilene; grandson Quentin Raul Garcia of Abilene; siblings, Allan Frizzell (wife Linda Frizzell) and Joni Frizzell Wood (husband Bill Wood) of Abilene; nieces and nephews Heiromonk Alexander (Tad Frizzell), Jill Frizzell Flores (husband Chano Flores), Britni Wood, Nicholas Wood, and Kelsey Wood.

Lane was born on September 5, 1951 in San Angelo, Texas to Jack and Pat Frizzell. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1969 and attended the University of Colorado from 1969-1970 before leaving to travel South America with a friend. He returned to the United States in 1972 and attended Texas Tech University where he graduated with a degree in business in 1974. He married Miriam Holly Lutz, his high school sweetheart, on June 14, 1975.

He was a much admired man to this day and was well known by most as a laid-back, good-hearted gentleman. As a young man, he and a friend went backpacking in the Andes Mountains of South America. Later in life, he participated in a Rotary International business exchange trip, visiting and speaking in several Central and South American countries. He moved back to Abilene after graduating college in 1974 to join his father Jack and brother Allan at Enrich Oil Corporation. He was sharper than a tack in the West Texas oil fields and beloved by his family, friends, band mates and business associates. He was known for many things including his country music band "Slim Chance and the Survivors". Through music he provided countless memories for friends and families at large events, as well as small back porch gatherings. He sought to discover as many different parts of the world as possible through his travels and was a great influence on shaping young minds, especially in a small town like Abilene. He often told his children that his motto in college came from a Grateful Dead song and stuck with him forever - "Get out of the door, light out and look all around". Jenny and Matt smile when they think how constantly friends have reminded them that it must really suck to have a dad that is "cooler than you are." We truly believe that with more people like Lane Frizzell in the world, it would be a better place.

A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, 2015 at 2:00 pm at The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. Rev. N. Luke Back will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Lane's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer's Association in Lane's memory (www.alz.org).

Published in Abilene Reporter-News on Mar. 12, 2015

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Here's a link to KTAB News Video about Lane's passing.

http://www.bigcountryhomepage.com/story/d/story/get-out-of-the-door-light-out-and-look-all-around/95385/wfSQukpaU0KwsthZ5tCLpA

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Abilene — Lane Patrick Frizzell, 63, died Monday, March 9, 2015. Service will be 2 p.m. Saturday, March 14, 2015, at Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest with the Rev. N. Luke Back officiating. In lieu of flowers, the family has requested that donations be made in Lane’s name to the Alzheimer’s Association, www.alz.org. Online condolences may be expressed at www.caringbridge.org/visit/lanefrizzell.

Lane Patrick Frizzell

Abilene, TX

Lane Patrick Frizzell, also known as Laner, Slim, or Flaco to many, died peacefully surrounded by his family in Austin, Texas on March 9, 2015 at the age of 63 after a seven-year battle with frontal lobe and temporal dementia.

Lane is survived by his parents, Jack and Pat Frizzell of Abilene, Texas; his wife, Holly Frizzell of Abilene; children Matthew Patrick Frizzell (wife Clare Winfrey Frizzell) of Austin, Texas, and Jennifer Lane Frizzell (fiance; Raul Garcia) of Abilene; grandson Quentin Raul Garcia of Abilene; siblings, Allan Frizzell (wife Linda Frizzell) and Joni Frizzell Wood (husband Bill Wood) of Abilene; nieces and nephews Heiromonk Alexander (Tad Frizzell), Jill Frizzell Flores (husband Chano Flores), Britni Wood, Nicholas Wood, and Kelsey Wood.

Lane was born on September 5, 1951 in San Angelo, Texas to Jack and Pat Frizzell. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1969 and attended the University of Colorado from 1969-1970 before leaving to travel South America with a friend. He returned to the United States in 1972 and attended Texas Tech University where he graduated with a degree in business in 1974. He married Miriam Holly Lutz, his high school sweetheart, on June 14, 1975.

He was a much admired man to this day and was well known by most as a laid-back, good-hearted gentleman. As a young man, he and a friend went backpacking in the Andes Mountains of South America. Later in life, he participated in a Rotary International business exchange trip, visiting and speaking in several Central and South American countries. He moved back to Abilene after graduating college in 1974 to join his father Jack and brother Allan at Enrich Oil Corporation. He was sharper than a tack in the West Texas oil fields and beloved by his family, friends, band mates and business associates. He was known for many things including his country music band "Slim Chance and the Survivors". Through music he provided countless memories for friends and families at large events, as well as small back porch gatherings. He sought to discover as many different parts of the world as possible through his travels and was a great influence on shaping young minds, especially in a small town like Abilene. He often told his children that his motto in college came from a Grateful Dead song and stuck with him forever - "Get out of the door, light out and look all around". Jenny and Matt smile when they think how constantly friends have reminded them that it must really suck to have a dad that is "cooler than you are." We truly believe that with more people like Lane Frizzell in the world, it would be a better place.

A memorial is scheduled for Saturday, March 14th, 2015 at 2:00 pm at The Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest. Rev. N. Luke Back will officiate the ceremony. All are welcome to attend and celebrate Lane's life. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to the Alzheimer's Association in Lane's memory (www.alz.org).
   

Published in Abilene Reporter-News on Mar. 12, 2015

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ABILENE, Texas - The word heard most often from friends describing Lane Frizzell is “gentleman.”

“He was a perfect gentleman about life, easygoing,” friend Larry Wellhausen said. “Just one of the finest guys I’ve ever known.”

Jerry Kiser, who graduated from Abilene High School in 1969 with Frizzell, said, “He was extremely humble, kind, a true gentleman. He respected everyone, bar none.”

A post on a website created by son Matthew Frizzell in honor of his father reads, “In honor of the best story teller, the singer with the deep, mellow voice, and a true gentleman and loyal friend, Lane Frizzell.”

Frizzell died Monday at an Alzheimer’s care unit in Bee Cave, west of Austin. He was 63. Services will be handled by Hamil Family Funeral Homes and are tentatively set for Saturday at Episcopal Church of the Heavenly Rest.

Frizzell graduated from Texas Tech with a degree in business in 1976. He, along with brother Allan and parents Jack and Pat, operate Enrich Oil Corp.

“He was responsible for oil field operations in the field,” Allan Frizzell said. “He was fluent in ‘working Spanish’ so he could talk to rig hands that spoke Spanish.”

He was a member of the YMCA board for many years. He and other family members were partners in Crescent Supply.

Music was always a large part of Lane Frizzell’s life. He and some friends formed a band — The Legends — while at Lincoln Junior High. Kiser, also a member of the band, could not remember where the name came from. “Probably because we were legends in our own minds,” he said.

Lane was a guitarist, but switched to drums while also doing lead vocals.

“He was probably the only one of us who could carry a decent tune,” Kiser said. “He had no difficulty with (singing and drumming at the same time).

“He was a musician’s musician. He was more than happy to play backup or lead.”

Frizzell was active in the Abilene music scene for many years, playing with Slim Chance and the Survivors.

“When his band was playing for events, he could really work the crowd,” Allan said. “He was so warm and friendly and everybody could sense that.”

Wellhausen recalled him playing in several Garage Band Woodstock fund raisers, including the initial one. He continued performing informally with a group of friends until about six months before his death.

“Through music he has provided countless memories for friends and families at large events as well as sitting around the back porch. He sought to discover as many different parts of the world as possible through his travels,” son Matthew Frizzell said.

A 1987 profile in the Reporter-News said that Frizzell’s most prized possession was a 1905 Gibson guitar, supposedly played by Gene Autry. Frizzell said in the article, “Once during a tornado, I got in the closet with that guitar.”

As a young man, he and a friend went backpacking in the Andes Mountains of South America. According to a Reporter-News article, locals couldn’t understand their motives.

“They wanted to know what the heck we were up to — putting ourselves through this. They couldn’t understand Americans doing this to themselves,” Frizzell said at the time.

Later in life, he participated in a Rotary International business exchange trip, visiting and speaking in several Central and South American countries.

“His loss is tremendous; he so positively impacted so many people’s lives,” Kiser said.