K.D. "Tex" Nabers

K. D. “Tex” Nabers passed away Jan. 13, 2017 at the age of 86. Tex was born Feb. 4, 1930 in Hall County, Texas. He was the oldest of five sisters and one brother.

Tex had many careers while living in Texas, cotton farmer, cotton ginner, car salesman, insurance salesman, selling trash cans shaped like Texas, and a gambler. He also owned a small grocery store and a bowling alley at one time.

He enjoyed horses and roping calves as a young man. He was a pretty good singer and artist, a pilot, an avid reader, and in his last few years he spent hours on the internet listening to music, researching UFOs, every conspiracy theory ever put out, religion and talking to his brother and sisters on Skype.

Tex, his wife Geri and two daughters, Pam and Tina, moved to Wilcox, Ariz. in 1966 where he returned to farming.

In 1971 he moved his family to Tempe and obtained a real estate license. He sold land in the Casa Grande area until, while watching TV one night, he saw a commercial about a new development starting up East of Scottsdale called Fountain Hills. He took a ride, talked his way into a job as a salesman for the developer, and began his career selling real estate when the Fountain was first turned on in 1972. His family moved to Fountain hills in 1973.

Tex loved Fountain Hills and believed it to be the best place to live in the entire Valley of the Sun. He and Geri opened Nabers Realty on May 13, 1977. They were joined by some terrific sales agents through the next 10 years and had a successful business.

In 1987 Tex decided to pursue his dream to become a professional gambler and moved to Las Vegas to play Texas Hold-‘Em with the legends. He played against, and became friends with, Amarillo Slim, Cowboy Wofford and Johnny Moss, to name a few. He especially enjoyed playing at Benny Binion’s Horseshoe Casino in downtown Vegas.

Tex came back to Fountain Hills around 1999 and played poker at various casinos around the valley right up until the time of his passing. He placed fourth in a tournament at Fort McDowell in November of 2016.

Tex did a lot of living in his 86 years and most of it was done his way. He was a serious student of “Positive Thinking” and would give anyone with any interest in the subject advice on where and how to get the right attitude. He stressed honesty and integrity in all his dealings with people.

His children, Mike and wife, Nancy, Pam, Tina and his five grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren, four surviving sisters and one brother appreciate all he did for them thru out his life.

He never questioned that “The Universe is unfolding according to plan”.

There will be no service. Memorial contributions can be made to your favorite charity.