Ewell Sessom

Ewell Sessom, 85, of San Angelo, educator, realtor and rancher, left for his heavenly home Saturday morning. He was born July 26, 1926, at Longworth, Texas, to Joseph Oscar Sessom and Annie Laura Fisher Sessom.

A celebration of his life will be at 1 p.m. Monday, January 16, at Southland Baptist Church, Pastor Taylor Sandlin officiating. Services will be under the direction of Johnson’s Funeral Home. Burial will follow at Lawnhaven Memorial Gardens.

Visitation will be from 6 to 8 p.m. Sunday at Johnson’s Funeral Home.

Pallbearers will be Steve Justice, Lewis Isaacs, Greg Stewart, Mike Sessom, Dan Sessom, Lance Lehmberg, and Neil Justice. Honorary pallbearers will be members of the Friendship Sunday School Class of Southland Baptist Church

Ewell started to school in Menard then moved with his family to Brady. At Brady High School he was quarterback of the football team and a track star. He won second place in the 440-yard sprint at the 1944 state meet at a time when all sizes of schools competed against each other.

Soon after graduation in 1944, he joined the Army and served in the Army Air Corps as a navigator in the Philippines. Upon his discharge, he attended Southwest Texas State College, now Texas State University and received the B.A. in education.

He and Mildred Leigh Hayes were married in 1948. Their son Steven Mark Sessom was born in 1950.

Ewell taught school and coached football and other sports at Salado, Rule, Taft and Fredericksburg. He then sold driver education simulators before joining the Texas State Department of Education in 1974 as state direction of Health, Physical Education and Recreation.

In that role, he led in the creation of outdoor adventure programs in many Texas schools. He established teacher workshops at H.E. Butt Foundation Camp that continue today, now sponsored by the professional association for health and physical education teachers.

He partnered with the Safari Club International to hold wilderness leadership schools in Wyoming and British Columbia for outstanding high school juniors from across the nation and provided team training for teachers, administrators and parks and wildlife leaders from various states.

In 1976 he married Cecelia Claburn, an education editor and teacher. They lived fully and adventurously in Austin, Brady, and Buchanan Dam and, since 2003, in San Angelo.

Ewell retired from the State Department of Education in 1982 and for 17 years in Brady lived his dream of ranching full-time and selling ranch real estate. Ewell loved his family deeply and loved to "pick and grin" with his brothers. He spent many hours hunting and fishing with the apple of his eye, his son Steve; soaking up the sweet love of his granddaughters and great-grandchildren; and traveling and living a quiet and happy life with Cecelia.

Surviving him are his wife of 35 years, Cecelia; his son Steve Sessom, D.D.S., and his wife Eva Jo Blaylock Sessom of Eldorado; granddaughters Staci and husband Benny Lockhart of Eldorado and Stormi and husband Quay Oglesby of Ozona, great-grandchildren Payton, Stevi and Drew Lockhart and Charli and Attley Ann Oglesby. Survivors also include his brothers Jerry Sessom and wife Norma of San Angelo, Don Sessom and wife Carol of Lake Ivey and sister-in-law Martha Jane Sessom of San Angelo.

He was preceded in death by his parents, his older brother Douglas Sessom, older sister Marjorie and granddaughter Mitzi Sessom.

Family and friends may sign the online register book at www.johnsons-funeralhome.com.