Ector County Texas Obituaries

    " B "

Baker

Maxine Baker, 92, of Odessa, a retired LVN for Medical Center Hospital, died Saturday, Jan. 19, 2008, at Hospice House.
Services will be at 2 p.m. Tuesday at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at Sunset Memorial Gardens.
She was born in Cherry Valley, Ark. She was a member of the First Baptist Church.
SURVIVORS Son, Don Baker of Houston; two grandchildren; and four great-grandchildren.

Bowden

Mary Gayle Hill Bowden, age 45, passed away Friday, December 2, 2005, at Medical Center Hospital in Odessa.
She was born January 15, 1960, to Guy E. Jr., and Betty Hill in Houston, TX. She was raised in Kerrville, and received her Bachelor of Arts degree from Texas A&M University in May 1982, as an English Major with a Minor in Journalism. In September 1981, she received a Minor in Spanish from Santiago de Compestella in Spain.
She was a member of the Radio and Television News Director Association Foundation/RIAS Berlin Commission Management Development program and consulted with three International Networks in 1997. She was a motivational speaker at the Radio and Television News Director Association National Conferences from 1995 to the present. She was a founding member from 1994 to the present of the Minorities in Broadcasting (RTNDF), and involved with Leadership Texas as a media/community and state leader trained as a total quality manager from 1993 to present.
Gayle received the following awards and accommodations: the N.E.A ? Award for the Advancement of Learning Through Broadcasting, the National Academy of Television Journalist Golden Viddy Award for Best Spot News, Anchors, Sports, Photography, Business and Children?s Programming (including Kidzone) (10), School Bell Awards (7) from the Texas State Teachers Association, the State Bar of Texas Gavel Awards (3), the Texas Governor?s Committee on People with Disabilities, Barbara Jordan Award (2), from Texas A.P. (more than 45 awards in all categories), Volunteer of the Year for Texas War on Drugs, and the Permian Basin Woman of Distinction media volunteer/
community Specialist of the Year.
She received the Community Statesmen Award for Media in 1999.
She received the following special appreciation awards from the Permian Basin Businessmen?s Association, Meals on Wheels (for elderly nutrition), Make a Wish Foundation, Special Olympics, Prevent Blindness, Midland Hispanic Chamber, Odessa Hispanic Chamber (M.A.N.O.) and the Midland Black Chamber of Entrepreneurs.
She received the following awards and special recognition for Community service from Business Development Speaker Texas Tech and University of Texas of the Permian Basin, Junior League Odessa Community Advisory Board, the Texas Alliance for Education and the Arts, Trustee Museum of the Southwest, Las Manos Community Advisory Board (Hispanic Education), Leadership Texas Alumni, and from the Media Advisor to numerous non-profit organizations.
She was the Executive Director of News and Corporate Development for Drewry Group for KWES-TV, in Midland-Odessa from 1999 to 2002. She was the News Director for KWES-TV from 1991 to 1999.
Gayle, along with her friend and co-worker, John Foster, and the rest of the NewsWest 9 team, was most proud of taking KWES-TV from 3rd place to 1st place in the Odessa-Midland market.
From 1986 to 1991, she worked as an assignment editor, anchor, and senior reporter for KMID-TV in Midland-Odessa. She was an anchor, reporter, photographer, and producer for KOSA-TV in Midland-Odessa from 1982-1986, and for KAMU-TV in Bryan-College Station, TX from 1978 to 1982.
She married Bill Bowden in the Cayman Islands on January 19, 1989. She was involved with the Presidential Museum and Ellen No?l Museum. She has also been involved with the UTPB Media Curriculum Board and has received 50+ letters of accommodation from numerous civic groups and officials such as President Clinton, Governor George W. Bush, and former President George Bush.
Survivors include her husband, Bill Bowden of Odessa; and her parents, Guy E. Jr. and Betty Hill of Houston, sister, Susan Kay Hill Welch and husband, Jeff and children Jeffery, Ashley, and Taylor Welch, all of Cypress, TX.
She was preceded in death by her grandparents, Guy Sr, and Stella Hill and Dick W. and Mary L. Taylor.
The family suggests memorials be made to the Presidential Museum in Odessa, or to the National Kidney Foundation of West Texas in Midland.
Graveside services will be held at 1:00 p.m. Tuesday, December 6, 2005, at New Energy Cemetery in Belot, TX. Memorial services will be held at 2:00 Friday, December 9, 2005, at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel in Odessa with Rev. Jimmy Braswell officiating.
Services entrusted to Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home.

Brown

Jimmie Lee Brown,, Odessa, passed away peacefully Sept. 9, 2007 while resting at home. He was born Sept. 17, 1931 at Alma. Jim married Flora Pennington Nov. 10, 1951 at Sherman, Texas. They moved to the Odessa area in 1981. He was preceded in death by his father, Clarence Brown, mother, Jewel Brown, and sister, Peggy Newman. Jim is survived by his loving wife of 55 years; daughters, Charlotte Swafford, Odessa, and Sharon Anderson and husband, Jimmie, Hobbs, N.M.; son, Ronnie Brown and his wife, Kathy, Midland, Texas; grandson, Joshua Anderson, Hobbs; granddaughters, Angela Way, Midland, and Melanie Brown, Odessa; great-granddaughters, Shianne and Kristen Way, Midland; one brother, Dale Brown, Pampa, Texas; and two sisters, Pat Wilson, Loco, and Gayle Nelson, Gila Bend, Ariz. Jim loved life, people and music. He served as president of the West Texas Bluegrass Association for many years. He was active in fund raising activities for local community programs, including the D.A.R.E. program. Jim will be greatly missed by his family, friends and fellow musicians. Services were 6 p.m. Wednesday, Sept. 12, 2007 at Hubbard-Kelly Funeral Home Chapel with Pat Stowers officiating. Graveside services were 2 p.m. Friday, Sept. 14, 2007.

Buice

Odessa Joe Carl Buice, 78, passed away peacefully April 8, 2007, at his residence.
Joe was born January 9, 1929, in Waco, Texas. He married Lee Rhoads on June 18, 1965, in Denton, Texas. His parents, Louie Ewing and Joe Henry Buice preceded him in death, as did a sister Millie Johnson.
After graduating from Waco High School, he went to Business College where he became proficient in shorthand and typing. Those skills served him well in naval service where he recorded court marshals and published the ship?s daily paper. He served our country through the Navy on board the USS Curtiss from 1948-1952. Joe attended Baylor University where he obtained a Bachelor of Arts degree in English. He also attended the University of Colorado in Boulder, CO, where he earned a Masters of Education and then went on to gain a Masters of English at the University of Texas in Austin, Texas. Finally, he was awarded a Ph.D. Degree in English from East Texas State University. Through the National Endowment of the Arts, he completed postdoctoral studies at both the University of California at Berkeley and the University of Mississippi in Oxford, Mississippi.

Dr. Buice began his teaching career at Odessa High School and then, in 1961, was employed in the English Department at Odessa College. He later became Chairman of the English Department and Dean of Humanities until his retirement in 1992. In addition to a lengthy and successful education career, he was extremely active in the community. He served several years on the Board of Directors of the Permian Playhouse. He was an active member of the Unitarian Fellowship of Odessa and one of his favorite community activities was serving on the Board of the Odessa Day Nursery where he considered it a personal commitment to maintain the ?slurpee fund? for all the children. In addition to other community and area services, he was elected to and served on the Ector County Hospital District Board from 1994 until his death. He was the Hospital Board President in 2000 and 2001.

Joe is survived by his wife, Lee Buice, his sons, Don Holloway and wife Paige of Franklin, TN, Burt Holloway and his wife Sherri of Silverthorne, CO, Mark Holloway and his wife Mary Ann of Odessa and his daughter, Laura Nugent and her husband Jay of Willis, TX. He is also survived by brothers, Calvin Buice and his wife Jeanine of Waco, TX, Lawrence Buice and his wife Barbara of Speegleville, TX and favorite sister, Nell Barton of Arlington, TX. Joe is additionally survived by many loving and loved grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.

Joe C. Buice served his country, his family, his community, his God, but never served himself. He was an educator, a doer, and a highly respected human being who was loved by all who knew him. He influenced the lives and welfare of hundreds of students and dozens of colleagues and friends, of whom he had many. His wisdom, patience, humor, kindness, generosity and integrity will be greatly missed by all.
A Memorial service will be held at the First Christian Church on Saturday, April 14, 2007, at 10:30 a.m. with the Reverend Jennifer Innis, minister, Unitarian Universalist Church, Midland, Texas, officiating.
In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be sent to the Unitarian Fellowship of Odessa, Home Hospice, or the charity of your choice.

Butler

Walter G. Butler, 94, passed away December 2, 2005.
Funeral services will be at 1 p.m. Monday at Arlington Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will be at 1 p.m. Tuesday at Sunset Memorial Gardens in Odessa. A visitation will be from 3 p.m. to 5 p.m. today at Arlington Funeral Home.
Walter was a member of the Fielder Road Baptist Church. He was the oldest living member of the Fort Worth Cats Baseball Team as well as being an active member of the Senior Citizen Program of Arlington. He was preceded in death by his granddaughter, Krista.
Survivors include his wife of 68 years, Gladys Butler of Arlington; son, Ray Butler and wife Gilda of San Antonio; daughter, Jane Paxson and husband Jim of Plano; grandchildren, Alethea, Walter and Gianna; great-grandchildren, Joshua, Gannon and Caleb; and a host of living relatives and friends.