Everette Owens, Jr.

Everette Owens, Jr. died peacefully at home in Stonewall, Texas on Friday, June 26, 2020. He lived a long and full life of 91 years and 10 months, during which he led by example and showed compassion and kindness to all who had the good fortune to cross his path. He was a loving family man with abundant energy and an incredible sense of humor. He lived life on his own terms and shared with his family this week that he was ready for his upcoming journey.

Everette and Doris, his wife of 71 years, were totally devoted to one another. Theirs was a story of everlasting love and the very best of friendships. Just this week, Everette recalled the first time he saw Doris and told his buddy that he was going to ask her for a date. Fortunately, he did. After that, as the saying goes, “they were joined at the hip” for life. They met and married in rural Louisiana and dedicated their lives to caring for and enriching the lives of others.

After 20 years of service and travel with the United States Air Force, Doris, Everette, and their children, Rosalind and Rodney, moved and settled in Austin, Texas. Everette earned a Bachelor of Science in Education from the University of Texas at Austin and worked as a school teacher. He went on to earn a Master of Arts in Counseling from Texas State University and spent 17 years as a Unit Director at the Travis State School, where he promoted quality care for individuals with intellectual disabilities.

Everette embraced and connected deeply with people of all ages and from all walks of life, and could tell a great joke. He and Doris treated everyone as family and neither has ever met a stranger. After retiring, they traveled together in their RV making lifelong friends and building beautiful memories. These travels provided Everette with lots of opportunities to enjoy fishing, his favorite pastime. He especially loved camping and hiking in the mountains of Colorado where he could be counted on to bring home a good stringer at the end of the day.

Everette was like the energizer bunny—always “ready to go” until the very end of his life. When walking long distances was no longer an option, he embraced his power wheel chair and was hard to keep up with. He knew every waitperson by name in all of his local haunts and they were always glad to see him coming. He was a diehard Longhorn and a lifetime member of the Texas Exes. He will be missed by all who knew him and his legacy of care and service provide a model for a life well lived.

Everette was preceded in death by brothers Wayne and Delmond Owens and sister Bobbye Gordy. He is survived by his wife Doris Owens of Stonewall, TX; daughter Rosalind and husband John Merz of Stonewall, TX; son Rodney Owens and wife Debbie of New Braunfels, TX; grandchildren Brandon and Allison Owens of Austin, TX; brother Donald Owens of Simpson, LA and numerous nieces and nephews.

Due to the current national health emergency, and consistent with Everette’s wishes, the funeral will be private with a celebration of life to follow at a future date. The family wants to thank Audra, Theresa, Monica, William, and all of the staff at Hill Country Memorial Hospice who gave extraordinary comfort and care to Everette and his family during recent months. In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to: Hill Country Memorial Hospice, 808 Reuben St., Fredericksburg, TX 78624.