Ronald Duane Sowders

Ronald Duane Sowders, 79, of Midland, Texas, passed away on Wednesday, May 21, 2025. A visitation will be from 6:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. on Friday, June 27, 2025, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home in Midland, Texas. Memorial service will be at 10:00 a.m., Saturday, June 28, 2025, at Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home Chapel in Midland. Interment will follow at the columbarium at Resthaven Memorial Park in Midland. The Reverend Jan Reed will be officiating.

Born in Gatesville, Texas on Friday, July 13, 1945, to Jack Hamilton Sowders, an oil field tool-pusher, and Edna Virginia Sockwell Sowders, Ron grew up in the oil towns of Texas, attending over a dozen schools from 1^st through 12^th grade. The two constants in his childhood were his participation in the Boy Scouts and sports.

When his parents separated, he, his younger sister, Linda, and his mother went to live with his maternal grandparents at their farm in South Bosque, Texas, near McGregor. His mother taught him how to fish and hunt, and his sister was his constant companion. Together they explored the farm and all the rivers and creeks for miles around.

In junior high school, he took a job as a brick layer’s assistant. Around this time his mother married R.D. Fisher, who had four children of his own, Pat, Molly, Danny, and Gina. Later his mother added baby Tina to the family. After junior high, he went to live with his father and his father’s wife, Estellene, gaining three more step siblings—brothers Tom, Dick, and Harry Crump. As a sophomore in high school, he attended Midland High and had Doc Dodson as a trainer. He spent his junior and senior years in Andrews, Texas, where he attended Andrews High School and met his future wife, Karen (Kay) Cox, who he took to the senior prom. In high school, he roughnecked in the oil fields during summer vacation, and worked part time at the Sowders Steak House in Andrews, owned by his father and stepmother during the school year. During his senior year, he became a Christian and got baptized.

After graduating from Andrews High School in 1963, he attended TSTI trade school in Fort Worth, for one year, learning radio repair. Then he studied accounting at Texas Technological College where he reconnected with Kay Cox.

Ron and Kay married on August 28, 1965, in Andrews, Texas, joining the family of Gordon and Edna Cox of Andrews, Texas. Graduating from Texas Tech in 1969 with a bachelor’s degree in accounting, he moved to Midland with Kay and began working for Unruh, Anz, and Atchsion as a CPA. Later he went to work for Bill Blakemore at Alpha 21. At this time, he also became a member of First Baptist Church of Midland.

In October of 1969, his first child, Samuel Clinton Sowders was born, followed by William Aaron Sowders, in March of 1972, and Jennifer Sowders in November of 1975. An active and involved father, he participated in Indian Guides, YMCA youth sports, and North Central Little League, where he served as president.

He loved hiking, hunting, and fishing with his children and their friends and families, and particularly enjoyed fishing at Lake Amistad in Del Rio, and hunting at the Corn Ranch, north of Van Horn and the Tovar Ranch, south of Eagle Pass. He also had a special place in his heart for the mountain town of Platoro, Colorado.

In 1992, he and Kay welcomed Sam’s wife, Kimberley Russell, to the family, and in 2006, they welcomed Scott Trulock, Jennifer’s husband. Their family grew even larger with the addition of four granddaughters, Rebekah Sowders Butcher (Jack), Katie Sowders, Lauren Trulock, and Claire Trulock.

After retirement, he and Kay travelled the world, visiting Egypt, China, Nepal, Australia, New Zealand, the Netherlands, England, Scotland, France, Italy, the Czech Republic, Russian, and various U.S. states, including Alaska and Hawaii. Ron also travelled to India, and South America. To celebrate their 50^th anniversary, Ron and Kay took the family to Turks and Caicos.

In 2022, Ron and Kay purchased land in Foard County and built a ranch house there, calling the property the Sowders Canal Creek Ranch. Purchasing the ranch was a life-long dream of Ron’s, and he loved exploring it, tending to the cattle, and fishing in the fully stocked tanks with Kay and their family.

He and Kay were married 59 years.

Ron was a good man. He lived a full life and was surrounded by people who loved him. We will miss him but know we will see him again in Heaven.

Ron is survived by his wife Kay Sowders; his children Sam Sowders (Kim), Will Sowders, Jennifer Sowders (Scott); his sister, Linda Farney; four granddaughters; several step siblings; and several nephews and nieces.

Ron is preceded in death by his father and stepmother, Jack and Estellene Sowders, his mother Virginia Fisher, a sister, Tina Fisher, and a stepbrother, Tom Crump.

In lieu of flowers, memorial donations may be made to Midland Northern Little League in Midland, Texas (midlandnorthernll@gmail.com).

Arrangements are under the direction of Nalley-Pickle & Welch Funeral Home & Crematory of Midland. Online condolences may be made at www.npwelch.com.

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