A dedicated and loving father, son and brother, Dustin Cole McEntire loved nature, his family and helping others in any way he could.
His parents, Sandy and Steven McEntire, could not find just one anecdote to express Dustin’s passion for his life and his goals.
“He lived life to the fullest,” Sandy said. “He lived without fear, he was always looking for an adventure, he was never afraid to try anything. He was a go-getter type person.”
From early on, Dustin planned to be an Aggie. He was a freshman in the engineering program and planned to specialize in petroleum engineering.
“He always knew he was going to A&M to be an engineer and never strayed from that,” Steven said. “There was a lot of stuff that came up, when he had his son Mason, it didn’t change it. He was just very determined, super smart.”
Dustin loved nature and spent his time with his closest family and friends fishing and hunting.
“He had a passion for the outdoors,” Sandy said. “Anything that involved hunting, or fishing, or animals, he was always right there.”
Dustin volunteered at the Sea Center in Lake Jackson to replenish the fishing populations in the Gulf of Mexico. Over $5,500 has been raised for the Sea Center in lieu of flowers for Dustin’s funeral, earning him a gold plate mounted in his name at the center.
Dustin’s friends and family were close to him, and he would always invite his younger brother Devin to go anywhere with him. Sandy said he deeply cared for everyone close to him.
“If you were Dustin’s friend, you were Dustin’s friend for life,” Sandy said. “He didn’t have this wide range of friends, he had true, quality friends that stayed and remained best friends.”
Devin said he and his brother enjoyed healthy competition and Dustin always helped teach others about activities he was passionate about.
“Everytime we went fishing or spearfishing it was always a competition to him,” Devin said. “One time he was with my girlfriend … and he was helping her fish because she didn’t know how … That was her first time and it was so memorable to her, and that was the last time we were offshore with Dustin, and he was just so caring and everything.”
His son Mason, almost 2 years old, still sees his father in little things, according to Steven.
“He knows he’s not here, and he’ll see pictures and he’ll say ‘Daddy’s fishin’’ and we’ve told him things, and I have a dog tag that has a fingerprint on it, and every time he sees it he’ll say ‘Daddy, Daddy,’” Steven said. “Anytime he sees anything A&M, he always says ‘Dad.’”
Sandy, Steven and Devin all said when Dustin set his mind to accomplishing something, he remained determined to see it through, no matter what life threw in his direction.
“He was a good dad, he had a good relationship with his son,” Sandy said. “He still finished high school at the top of his class, he still went to A&M, and still taking on that extra responsibility of a son – he stuck with it. He was dedicated.”