Oil man McDaniel passes away at 94

Friends and family gathered at Friendship Baptist Church on Tuesday to remember the life of 94-year-old oil tycoon Robert “Bob” McDaniel, who passed away on Sunday.
McDaniel’s humble beginning in the small Evangeline Parish town of Pine Prairie and his faith in the Lord led to him becoming best known for using the riches his Savior blessed he and his family with to encourage and bless others.
First Baptist Church of Ville Platte Pastor Kevin West, who spoke at the funeral services, described McDaniel as “a man who invested in his community, invested in his church, and invested in the people around him.”
McDaniel graduated from Pine Prairie High School in 1939. Following high school, he began his life of giving by joining the United States Military, and serving in WWII. For his selfless giving during his time in the service, McDaniel was awarded four U.S. service medals, which included: American Good Conduct, American Campaign, Asiatic Pacific Campaign, and American Victory.
After returning from war, McDaniel married his wife of 59 years Noelie Deshotel McDaniel, of Ville Platte, and began his 40-year career as a pumper for Pan Am-Amoco.
In 1993, McDaniel then became one of the three founders of Midstates Petroleum Corporation, and drilled for oil and natural gas in a variety of areas including Easton. It was this business venture that led to McDaniel experiencing one of the highlights of his career, which was ringing the Closing Bell at the New York Stock Exchange on Wall Street when Midstates first began trading in the stock market in 2012.
Throughout his career, long time family friend Wayne Dardeau said, “Bob was blessed with lots of money, but you never knew it.”
“I know of a lot of kids that he gave money to,” said Dardeau. “He wanted to push them to go to trade school or college so that he could see them succeed, because he knew they needed that encouragement and help.”
Along with helping those in the community financially, McDaniel was also a man that wanted to invest in people spiritually, and he did so by donating one million dollars to his home church, Friendship Baptist Church in Pine Prairie.
That money went to building Friendship’s sanctuary, which allows McDaniel, who according to Dardeau “did so much for so many,” to continue doing for people in the community that he so loved even though he is now gone.
Dardeau said, “Bob helped a lot of people, and he never wanted recognition for it. This community will miss him for a very long time.”