June 2013

AGC Mourns the Loss of Leo Linbeck, Jr.

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The AGC Houston community was saddened to learn of the passing of Leo Linbeck, Jr. in early June. Mr. Linbeck was the ultimate gentleman, family man and business leader. AGC Houston is fortunate and proud to have benefited from his outstanding leadership, and he is especially remembered this year as the chapter celebrates its 90th anniversary and its Legacy of Leadership.

He died peacefully in his sleep on Saturday, June 8, 2013. He was born on August 12, 1934, and with the exception of a few short periods, lived his entire life in Houston, Tex.

He was a loving husband, devoted father, successful businessman, expansive polymath, and dedicated servant of his community, state, and nation. Most of all, he was a man of strong and abiding faith, a steadfast follower of his Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and His Roman Catholic Church.

He was a lifelong parishioner at St. Anne Catholic Church. He attended St. Anne Catholic School, St. Thomas High School (Class of 1952), and the University of Notre Dame (Class of 1956). He also briefly attended law school at the University of Texas at Austin, before joining the family construction business.

He was a builder. He built buildings, organizations, and communities. For more than 50 years, he worked at Linbeck Group, the construction management firm started by his father. Beginning as a carpenter and ending as senior chairman, he provided leadership, energy, and vision, guiding the company through many business cycles. He was co-founder of Texans for Lawsuit Reform and Americans for Fair Taxation, and served on numerous boards, including the Federal Reserve Bank of Dallas (Chairman), Duke Energy Corporation, MD Anderson Foundation, The Bionomics Institute, Daniel Industries, Inc., GeoQuest International Holdings, Inc., International Systems & Controls, John Hancock Advisers, Inc., MorningStar Foods Inc., and The Southland Corporation. He also led the Bonfire Commission at Texas A&M University and served on the Advisory Council for the College of Engineering at the University of Notre Dame.

Mr. Linbeck shared his enormous talent with the AGC at the local, state and national levels. He served as the Houston Chapter president in 1968 and 1969. He was instrumental in the formation of the Texas Building Branch/AGC in the early 1970s, working to insure proper representation of contractor interests in the Texas Legislature. Additionally, he served as national chairman of the Collective Bargaining Committee, where his effective negotiations with the presidents of many of the National Building Trades Unions created contract changes that allowed union contractors to survive and grow. His footsteps within AGC always lead to positive consequences for the industry and the individual firms.

He had many avocations including golf, hunting, fishing, and public policy. He was an extraordinary conversationalist; he had an uncanny knack for always finding something interesting to discuss with whomever he met. He was compassionate, energetic, contemplative, and evangelized for Jesus Christ by living a life of virtue.

Associated General Contractors of America
2300 Wilson Blvd, Suite 300
Arlington, VA, USA
Ph: 703-548-3118 Fax: 703-837-5402