Richard "Dick" Wallrath

“

His life was proof of what he spent his later years telling young people, "second chances are real, that the hard work pays off, and that it truly is better to give than to receive."

Richard "Dick" Wallrath, the self-made Texas entrepreneur and rancher who became the largest individual donor in the history of both Texas FFA and Texas 4-H, went to be with his Heavenly Father on November 5, 2026, at the age of 96. His life was proof of what he spent his later years telling young people, "second chances are real, that the hard work pays off, and that it truly is better to give than to receive."

Dick was born September 21, 1930, in Parker County, Indiana, and grew up in Indiana. By the time he reached double digits, he was balancing farm chores with schoolwork, and he carried that work ethic for the rest of his life. As a young man, he went into the construction business and found success but also found the vice that would nearly cost him everything. Alcohol took his job, his hope, and for a time his family. Destitute and in his words, "unemployable with five children," he found faith in God and the fellowship of Alcoholics Anonymous, and with their help he got sober. As of January 2026, Mr. Wallrath celebrated fifty-eight years of sobriety.

Sober, Dick took a job selling windows to builders. After a few successful years, and after praying over the decision beside the ocean where he did his best thinking, he started his own company in 1975, with about $40,000 in savings. Bankers and accountants told him it would not work...it did. Champion Windows grew from a small Houston operation into a nationally recognized brand, and when Dick sold it after more than two decades, he gave a third of the proceeds to charity.

Inspired years earlier by a speech from R.G. LeTourneau about giving back, Dick began sharing his blessings before he could afford to. He purchased champion animals at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, Rodeo Austin, and Fort Worth Stock Show & Rodeo, in addition to many local county stock shows giving more than $20+ million to youth exhibitors, including scholarships. 

“

Inspired years earlier by a speech from R.G. LeTourneau about giving back, Dick began sharing his blessings before he could afford to.

Dick Wallrath was a lifetime director at the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, a member of the Masonic Lodge and the youngest Past Master, and he was also a member of the Shriners International (Houston, Texas).

Beginning in 2002, he gave $1.5 million directly to the Texas FFA Foundation, and in 2006, he established the Richard Wallrath Educational Foundation, which has since awarded more than fourteen hundred scholarships of $10,000 each to Texas 4-H and FFA members. His generosity also funds the Dina Wallrath Robertson Memorial Star Awards, Texas FFA Agriscience Fair awards, and several FFA Proficiency Awards. In 2018, Texas A&M AgriLife Extension renamed its building in College Station the Richard and Patsy Wallrath Texas A&M AgriLife Extension Service Building in honor of Dick and his wife.

Dick's journey was told in the 2011 feature film, "Deep In The Heart," starring Jon Gries and Val Kilmer and featuring some 200 Texas FFA members. True to form, every dollar it earned went back to scholarships. He often said he had "no education" and was "dumber than a sack of rocks," but no one who knew him believed it. He believed in giving an opportunity, not handouts. "When you give a child an education," he liked to say, "you give them something no one can steal. You can make their drams come true." Thousands of young Texans are living proof that he was right.

Dick is survived by his wife, Patsy Wallrath of Centerville, Texas and many lifetime friends.

A memorial serivce honoring the remarkable life of Richard "Dick" Wallrath will be held 10 A.M., Wednesday, November 18, 2026, at George H. Lewis & Sons Funeral Home (Jasek Chapel), 1010 Bering Drive, Houston, Texas 77057. Immediately following, all are invited to join the family during a reception in the grand foyer.

"Here's looking at life ~~ Dick Wallrath ~~ Happy Trails"

“

He believed in giving an opportunity, not handouts. "When you give a child an education," he liked to say, "you give them something no one can steal."

Local arrangements are under the direction of Walters Funeral Home, Centerville, Texas -- A Walters Family Funeral Home.