1942-2020
Barbara June (Ryon) Craven, 78, of Austin, passed away Friday, September 18th, after a heart-breaking thirteen-month battle with brain cancer. Known to her family as “Babs”, she was born in Jeffersonville, Indiana on May 25th,1942 to Henry “Tex” B. Ryon (deceased) and Martha J. (Smith) Ryon (deceased). Barbara grew up in Lakeland, Florida and later moved to Austin, Texas. She graduated from McCallum H.S. in 1960. She then attended Southwest Texas University (SWT), now Texas State University, where she met her future husband, Paul E. Craven, on a blind date. They married in 1964, upon Babs graduation in hand with a Bachelor of Business Administration (BBA), and moved to Charleston, S. C. for 3 years. The family came back to Austin in 1967, where she began her government career with the then Office of Equal Opportunity (OEO). Babs started her family with Christopher Paul Craven in 1971. In 1972 she transferred over to the Austin Information Technology Center (AITC), a/k/a VA Data Processing Center as a software developer. In 1975, while expecting her 2nd son, Cameron Ryon Craven, Babs transferred to Houston as a financial supervisor at the VA Medical Center, while her husband attended the UT Dental Branch. Upon his dental graduation, the family returned to Austin, and Babs resumed her career as an AITC Developer before coming to Systems Quality Assurance Services (SQAS) Division in 1987 as a Test Engineer, then became the Team Leader of Financial Management Systems (FMS), and finally Associate Director of the entire SQAS Division.
She garnered several outstanding reviews and awards for her work, and endeared herself to all her co-workers, of which there are many. She retired February 1st, 2010, after giving 41 years to government service. She then devoted the remainder of her days to her family, with love, patience, and attention. She loved going to the gym, and vacationing with her family. From the beginning she guided her boys to ensure they would have happy, healthy, and fulfilling lives, in accordance to their demonstrated skills and intellect. Both her children knew what they were to become before middle school, one an attorney, and the other a surgeon. Both her sons are happily married with children. Her sons are her living legacy of what loving parenting can bring. Her spirit will continue to live on within them, and through them into their children.
She is survived by her devoted husband of almost 56 years, Paul E. Craven; son Christopher P. Craven, and his wife Kendra Baze-Craven and grandchildren Charlie H. Baze and twin Roy D. Baze; son Cameron R. Craven, and his wife Nicole Craven and grandchildren Chloe N. Craven and Casen R. Craven; brother Benton E. Ryon and his wife Pamela Smith Ryon; and twin brother Robert L. Ryon and his wife JoAnn Joseph Ryon, and various nieces and nephews. Babs will be missed greatly by her family, as well as her gym partner, colleague, and best-best friend of over 40 years, Judy Downing.
The Craven Family wishes to thank Juan Ortega-Barnett, MD (neurosurgeon), Texas Oncology and Radiation, Hospice Austin, Blue Water Homecare and Darleen Valentine for the tender care given for Barbara during her illness. Babs was able to stay in her home throughout her ordeal and pass peacefully there with her loved ones.
In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to MD Anderson Cancer Center, Glioblastoma Cancer Research, P.O. Box 4486, Houston, TX 77210-4486 or www.mdanderson.org/gifts.
There will be a celebration of her Life Well Lived at Cook Walden Funeral Home ((512) 454-5611), 6100 North Lamar, Sunday, October 4th beginning at 1:00pm.
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