Otis Lumpkin

​​ Otis Otey Lumpkin (April 23, 1924 – March 26, 2012) was an artist and university professor in San Angelo, Texas.

Born in Texarkana, Texas, he was a son of Otey Otis Lumpkin (1876-1937) and the former Lynn White (1984-1976). Lumpkin served in the United States Army Air Forces in World War II, stationed in Rattlesden, England. He was an aerial engineer and top turret gunner on a B-17 Pathfinder. He survived twenty-five bombing raids despite being shot down three times. He received the Distinguished Flying Medal awarded by the Royal Air Force and the French Croix De Guerre with Silver Palm. He was also a member of the Goldfish Club, an honor reserved for airmen who had survived a ditching at sea.^[1]

A talented painter who specialized in postwar and contemporary art, Lumpkin was a professor and chairman of the Art Department for more than twenty years at Angelo State University. His paintings hang in collections around the country. He was also the director of European Studies and led students on trips to Europe. Lumpkin spent his life exploring and learning as much as he could. He was regarded as a "southern gentleman," known for his graciousness and guidance to students.^[1] He had his last art show in San Angelo in March 2011, a year prior to his death.^[2]

Lumpkin was married to the former Jo Anne Reeves (1933-2005), a native of Ardmore in Carter County in southeastern Oklahoma.^[3] He had two children from a previous marriage, Otey Lumpkin (born 1949), a Certified Public Accountant, and his wife, the former Shirley Alane Hall of Dallas, and Olivia "Libby" Lumpkin (born 1951) and husband Dave Charles Hickey of Albuquerque, New Mexico, He and Jo Anne had four children, Lynn Layman of Midland, Texas, Elaine Floyd and husband Ricky Lane Floyd of Frederick, Maryland, Lisa Minton and husband Burton Rix Minton of Austin, Texas, and Eric Bradley Lumpkin and wife Lindsey Raines Lumpkin of Odessa. He was also survived by Jo Anne's sister, Nancy Bradley and husband Wilbur of Wichita, Kansas, and brothers-in-law, Chuck Reeves and Ronnie Reeves, both of Texarkana, Arkansas. and Bill Reeves of Little Rock, Arkansas.^[1]

Lumpkin died at the age of eighty-seven of a brief illness in Shannon Hospital in San Angelo. He and his wife are interred there at Fairmount Cemetery.^[1]

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