OBITUARY James Edward Dowies Sr. February 16, 1930 – November 30, 2018 Play Tribute Movie James Edward Dowies, Sr., 88, went to be with his Lord and Savior on Friday, November 30, 2018. We lost a prayer warrior and wonderful man that day. James (Jim) was born to Tyra Dowies and Cleo Clotile Parker Dowies in Robeline, Louisiana on February 16, 1930.
Jim grew up in Houston and graduated from Sam Houston High School, then attended The University of Texas in Austin on an athletic scholarship. Jim served in the United States Marine Corps Reserve and was honorably discharged in 1949. It was during his years at the University in a business law class that he met Thelma Lou Avant whom he married on May 31, 1952 immediately following his graduation.
Thelma Lou had actually noticed Jim years before when he played basketball against her alma mater, Beaumont High School. They raised their children in Orange, Texas and retired in Houston to be near family. Jim and Thelma were devoted to each other in their 64 years of marriage.
Jim took tender care of Thelma in her years of decline due to Alzheimer’s until her passing on December 31, 2016. Athletics was a big part of Jim’s life and he had success in multiple sports from high school through professional level basketball. He was chosen as Outstanding Athlete in Houston in 1948 before he entered the University of Texas and was All-Conference and Region 3 All American in 1952.
Jim then played for the Houston Ada Oilers, owned by Bud Adams, until injuries stopped him in 1954. He stayed active by becoming an official for high school and college basketball and football refereeing in 5 conferences for 37 years. He avidly followed all Longhorn sports as well as the Astros, the Rockets, and USA soccer and stayed extremely sharp remembering statistics for many decades of sports.
Outside of his work for Entergy (formerly known as Gulf States Utilities) and refereeing, Jim served on many boards and was past president of Kiwanis and the YMCA. Jim was an active member and Sunday school director at Second Baptist Church in Houston, Texas plus volunteered 11 years in Prison Ministry through Second Baptist Church holding monthly services in 4 state prisons. Jim and Thelma loved their three children, six grandchildren and two great grandchildren.
They poured their time and attention into their grandchildren taking them on annual vacations to the beach, Disney, and skiing, as well as attending all their sporting events and practices. Jim is survived by his children; James Edward Dowies, Jr. and his wife Choe Mi Hyun Dowies, and Pam Dowies Owens and her husband Randall Carroll Owens; grandchildren David James Dowies and his wife Mandy Lo Dowies, Samuel Carroll Owens and his wife Sarah Virginia Brown Owens, Joseph Randall Owens and his wife Madelyn Louise Smith Owens, James Edward Dowies, III, Rachel Margaret Owens Poppe and her husband Kevin Worden Poppe; his great grandchildren Sienna Lo Dowies and Emmy Lou Dowies. Jim was preceded in death by his parents, Tyra and Clotile Dowies, his sister Gwendolyn Dowies Bolton, his grandson Daniel Austin Dowies, his daughter Cynthia Lou Dowies, and his wife Thelma Lou Avant Dowies.
A memorial service will be held 11 a.m., Friday, February 15, 2019 in The Hankamer Chapel at Second Baptist Church, 6400 Woodway, Houston, Texas 77057.
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