William H. Owens

William H. Owens, age 89, of Little Rock, passed away Wednesday, December 28, 2011. He was known as "Buddy" among family and church friends, and as "Bill" in the work place. He was born November 27, 1922 nearby Fairfield, Texas, to Hardy and Betty Owens. In his early years and during the Great Depression in our nation he worked in the cotton fields with his family and entered the school system at age nine. He enrolled in Rice University at age 17 to study engineering. His schooling was interrupted by World War II for 3½ years where he served in the Army Air Force as a flight engineer on B-29 Bombers. On January 1, 1943, he married his high school sweetheart, Lillian Campbell who has been a faithful, loving wife for over 68 years. Bubby's testimony is: "We have come a long ways and what has been accomplished we give credit to God and thanks for His blessings on us." He made a profession of faith and joined the Baptist church in 1936. He was ordained a deacon in 1950 and taught Sunday School classes throughout the rest of his life. During his working career he held managerial jobs in business and economic evaluation, and retired from Olin Corporation in 1980, and the Williams Companies in 1988. He worked with Agrico, one of the Williams Companies involved in the economic evaluation of agricultural chemical products proposed for countries on five different continents. His favorite sports activity was Taekwondo where he achieved 1st and 2nd degree black belts. He taught Taekwondo to over 200 students over a period of eight years in the I.T.F. under the guidance of General Choi, Hong Hi, founder of the International Taekwondo Federation. He held a lifetime membership in the I.T.F. He is survived by his wife, Lillian of Little Rock; and several cousins; and sister-in-law, Mavis Cobb; nephew-in-law Gary Cobb and his wife; nieces-in-law Cynthia Cole, Melanie Taylor and her husband Steve, and Donna Cross and her husband Steve. He was preceded in death by his parents, Hardy and Betty Owens; sisters Pearl and Mary and their husbands. Funeral services will be held 2 p.m., Friday, December 30, 2011 at Temple Baptist Church, with Reverend Richard Walters officiating. Interment will be at Forest Hills Memorial Park. The family will receive friends one hour prior to the service on Friday at the church. Arrangements are by Roller-Chenal Funeral Home, (501)224-8300. Online guestbook: www.rollerfuneralhomes.com/chenal.