Ron Owens

Ronnie M. Owens passed away peacefully to be with his Lord and Savior on Monday, September 23, 2024, in Temple, Texas.  He was 77 years old.

Ron was born on January 22, 1947, in Fulton, Mississippi.  During elementary school the family moved to Kenosha, Wisconsin where his parents had careers in the auto and electronics industries and actively participated in church ministry.  During high school, Ron moved back to Mississippi and graduated from Pontotoc High School in 1965.  During his time in Pontotoc, he played football and wrote a sports column for the Pontotoc newspaper and developed a love for writing.  Ron attended his beloved Mississippi State University, earning a bachelor’s degree in personnel management in 1969.

In 1970, Ron joined the U.S. Army, 101st Airborne Division, including a tour of duty in Vietnam, where he was stationed in Saigon, Hue and Phu Bai.  During his service, he was awarded the National Defense Service Medal, the Vietnam Campaign Medal and the Vietnam Service medal with Bronze Star.

When he returned stateside, Ron attended Auburn University, where he earned a master’s degree in Vocational Rehabilitation Administration.  He worked in the field of rehabilitation assisting people with spinal cord injuries and other disabilities.  In 1982, Ron earned his Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology from the University of Mississippi.

As a licensed Psychologist, Ron touched many lives throughout his career and was a dedicated healthcare provider and educator.  He participated in projects with NASA, the Air Force Agent Orange Mental Health Study, and served as an expert witness in several high-profile trials.  He served on the staff of the Mental Health division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice for over a decade, including service as chief mental health officer, and later as chief psychologist at the Clements Unit in Amarillo, Texas.  He then served for 10 years on the faculty of Texas Tech Medical School in Amarillo, where he served as Associate Professor and Clerkship Director for the department of psychiatry, and a member of the TTHSC Institutional Research Committee.  He retired from Texas Tech Medical School in 2009.

Ron and his wife Susan (Anderson) of 30 years were married at Tenth Avenue Methodist Church in Amarillo, Texas.  They moved to Belton, Texas in 2009 where his wife serves at the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor.  They were members of First Methodist Church in Temple.

Ron loved his family, and he loved serving others.  He was a member of Rotary International, and was a volunteer counselor at St. Paul United Methodist Church in Amarillo for many years.  After moving to Belton, he served as volunteer and co-director of Tuesday Solace at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Temple to provide an afternoon respite for caregivers of those suffering with Alzheimer’s and dementia.  Ron also loved to write and was a member of a writing group at Sammons Center taught by Pruitt Davis, where he met several dear friends.

Ron was an avid sports fan and spent many happy hours with his family and friends rooting for the Atlanta Braves, Mississippi State Bulldogs, Green Bay Packers, Dallas Cowboys, and UMHB Cru Football.

In 2015, Ron had an accident that resulted in a spinal cord injury and quadriplegia.  He was resident at a nursing facility for 9 ½ years and faced his disability with a positivity and courage that was inspirational to all who knew him.  He continued to read and to write, to participate in church and bible studies, to excel at his favorite game Scrabble, and to interact with others each day.

Ron came from a large family, and he is having a jubilee in Heaven with his many loved ones.  Ron was preceded in death by his parents, Allie and Lena Long Owens of Fulton, Mississippi; his sister Bettie Owens Watts and his brother-in-law Noel Watts of Water Valley, Mississippi; 2 brothers, Jerry Owens and Billy Owens of Fulton, Mississippi; his mother-in-law, Joan Blackburn; his father-in-law, Robert Anderson of Amarillo, Texas; and many aunts, uncles and cousins, including a special cousin Charles Owens of Middlebury, Indiana; a special niece Becky Watts of Oxford, Mississippi; and a special uncle Senator George Owens and his wife Mae of Pontotoc, Mississippi.

Ron is survived by his wife Susan; one son Mark Owens and his wife Cynthia of Greensborough, North Carolina; nephew Mike Watts and his daughter Jennifer Redditt of Oxford, Mississippi, nephew Leslie Watts and his wife Susan and their daughters Laura-Kate Tribble and Camille Carskadon of Starkville, Mississippi; and in-laws Hal and Susan Skaggs and Linda Anderson of Amarillo, Texas.

Special thanks to Mitch Hinman, Physical Therapist, who provided weekly care and friendship to Ron for 9 years; to the exceptional Baylor Scott & White medical team Dr. James Albers, Dr. Alva-Naree Green, and Tametra Jones FNP; to Ryan Holler, Pam Daniel and the dedicated staff at Cornerstone Gardens Rehabilitation and Nursing Center in Temple, Texas, all who took such fine care of Ron; and to the many friends from the Sammons writing group and from the University of Mary Hardin-Baylor, who have provided such love, support and friendship to Ron and Susan these many years.

Visitation will be held on Thursday, September 26, 2024, from 4:30 p.m. to 6:30 p.m. at Dossman Funeral Home in Belton, Texas.  A private family service will be held later in Amarillo, Texas.

The family requests memorials to Mississippi State University   ( https://www.msstate.edu/ ), University of Mary Hardin-Baylor ( https://advance.umhb.edu/give ), or to Tuesday Solace at St. Francis Episcopal Church in Texas, Texas  ( https://www.stfrancistemple.org/ ).