Remembering award winner, Hall of Famer Sam McTier

Propane industry veteran Sam McTier, 93, died on Jan. 11 in Lake Forest, Illinois, where he was a longtime resident.

McTier

An El Paso, Texas, native, McTier graduated from the University of Colorado in Boulder as a mechanical engineer. He served in the Navy in World War II and in the Korean War. He settled in the Chicago area with a career in the propane industry with Bastian-Blessing. He started and owned McTier Supply Co., where he served as president and CEO for more than 40 years. Upon his retirement, he continued to work in the industry at Propane Technologies and McTier Consulting.

Known for his vast knowledge of the propane industry and its processes, and his passion for sharing it, McTier received the Distinguished Service Award from the National Propane Gas Association (NPGA) in 2002. He was named in 2012 to the inaugural class of the LP Gas Hall of Fame. In addition, McTier was the only person to receive emeritus status on the National Fire Protection Association’s Technical Committee on Liquefied Petroleum Gases.

McTier was heavily active in state and national associations, including with NPGA’s Technology, Standards & Safety Committee and its International Committee. He was also a member of the Propane Education & Research Council.

“The industry has grown up with customers to market. Customers hear about propane, and they decide they want to use it. The situation isn’t the same today,” McTier told LP Gas for a 2008 profile. “You have to do something extra to get propane sold. We’re doing better, but we’re still a long way from getting that enthusiasm and marketing expertise. We’re a long way from reaching our peak.”

Watch a slideshow that LP Gas featured at Sam McTier’s 2012 Hall of Fame induction ceremony.

McTier had many hobbies and talents. He played viola in the El Paso and Lake Forest symphonies, and he played violin in a quartet while stationed in Nagasaki, Japan. He played guitar and the ukulele, and he liked to sing and dance. McTier spent his younger days competing in tennis tournaments. He also played squash and golf.

McTier’s funeral will be held at the Church of the Holy Spirit, 400 E. Westminster Ave., Lake Forest, Illinois, at 1 p.m. Jan. 25. In lieu of flowers, memorial contributions may be made to the Lake Forest Symphony, 400 E. Illinois Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045, or to the National Propane Gas Foundation Scholarship Fund, 1899 L St. NW, Suite 350, Washington, D.C. 20036.