Karen Sue Bain

Karen Sue Ring was born on Christmas Day in 1942, the youngest child of Claude and Lee Ring of Dougherty, Texas. She was a beautiful little girl, blue-eyed and tow-headed. By the time she was a teenager, she was six feet tall, like her brothers, Kenneth and Hubert.

Valedictorian of her class at Floydada High School, Sue helped edit the school newspaper, banged cymbals and drums in the band, and played on the basketball team.

Sue went to Texas Tech and got her degree in Business Education. She had planned to be a typing and bookkeeping teacher, but a job at Tech in the brand-new area of computers and data processing led her into IT.

She was working as a programmer for McDonnell Douglas in Denver when she met Gene. Both of them had rewarding careers in programming and consulting and they were highly respected in their field.

Together they helped found St. Barnabas United Methodist Church in Arlington, Texas, and their church family was a much-loved part of their lives.

They built a distinctive home in Dalworthington Gardens that was designed by Sue’s nephew, architect Charles Womack—an elegant house of glass surrounded by woods. In the back they raised wine cup and other native Texas flowers and herbs.

Sue and Gene loved to travel and enjoyed a number of far-flung adventures, including a sailing trip around the Greek islands arranged by a husband and wife who were both sailing crew and gourmet chefs.

Sue and Gene were great cooks and they loved to entertain, whether it was for neighbors, family, co-workers, or church friends. They never passed up a chance to do a kindness for others. They were generous to everyone they met, and those of us who knew them will carry that memory forever.

Sue and Gene Bain were completely devoted to each other. When Gene died in 2006, Sue was devastated and never really regained the joy that had filled their lives when they were together. On the 4th of July, 2021, she was reunited with her beloved husband, Gene Bain.

In addition to Gene, Sue was preceded in death by her parents, Claude and Lee Ring; her brother Kenneth and Kenneth’s wife Bobbie Ring; her brother Hubert; her sister Helen Ring Womack and Helen’s husband Jay Womack; her nephew Charles Womack; and Charles’s son Jeremy Womack.

Sue leaves behind nine nieces and nephews and their families, who all loved her very dearly: Deona Womack Carmack (Stan); Stephen Jay Womack (Marlene); Charles’s wife, Paula Phillips Womack; David Ring (Traci); Greg Ring; Bill Ring; Mary Essary Dupree; Janet McCroy; and Elaine Holt; along with her cherished sister-in-law, Hubert’s wife, Clovis Ring-Hagood; and her dearest friend since childhood, Darlene James, who gave Sue loyal and loving support all of her life.

Sue’s family would like to give special thanks to Pilar Lopez, who was Sue’s faithful friend and caregiver. Pilar cooked wonderful meals for Sue and stayed by her side as her health declined, enabling her to live as independently as possible.

There will be a graveside burial service for close friends and family at 12:00 noon on Friday, July 16, at Moore Memorial Gardens, 1219 N. Davis Drive, Arlington, Texas. We hope to have a celebration of Sue’s life at St. Barnabas Church in the coming weeks.