Roger Dowdy (Plainview)

Roger Dale Dowdy, 67. His courageous fight to live on this earth ended at his home on Monday evening, April 7, 2014. Funeral services will be held at 1:30 p.m. Friday, April 11, 2014 at College Heights Baptist Church with Rev. Don Robertson officiating. Interment will follow in Parklawn Memorial Gardens under the care of Kornerstone Funeral Directors of Plainview.  Visitation will be held 6-7:30 p.m. Thursday at the funeral home.  Roger Dale Dowdy was born in Plainview, Texas on April 20, 1946. He and Diane Shramek Dowdy were married in Fontana, California on December 6, 1968, and were blessed with 45 years of sharing their lives together. At the time of their marriage Roger was in the United States Air Force stationed in San Bernardino, California. He flew as a crew chief with top-secret clearance on the C-141 transport plane during the Viet Nam era, and was he was most proud to serve his country.   He often stated that America would be a better nation if all able-bodied men were still drafted and loyal to our nation.  Roger and Diane have been members of College Heights Baptist Church since 1975 where he served on numerous committees throughout his time there.  Roger graduated from Stratford High School in Stratford, Texas. He graduated from South Plains College and attended Wayland Baptist University for three years.  As an honest and hard-working young man of 35, he wanted the challenge of becoming a business owner in 1981. He proudly owned and operated Dowdy Plumbing, Heating, and Air Conditioning Company with his wife, Diane as a team until he was no longer able to serve his clients because of liver cancer. He still retained his Master Plumbing License and Air Conditioning with integrity, and always wanted to use them to help others when he could. He was also a Licensed Texas Real Estate Inspector for the past 15 years, and sincerely enjoyed providing new homeowners an honest opinion of their purchase.  He was most proud of their two daughters, Shannon and Dayna and his four grandchildren, Owen, Hugh, Gwyn, and Boaz, were his pride and joy. He and Diane enjoyed travelling via road trips in America or on cruise ships to many parts of the world. He liked to golf, never made a hole-in-one, but was fortunate to play golf all over the world when travelling with his daughter, Shannon. Most Sunday afternoons he grabbed his golf bag, balls, tees, and his “Captains” cap to golf with some of the nicest guys in Plainview. He was an avid fan of watching wrestling as he did in his younger years, which his wife, Diane, never understood “why”!  He is preceded in death by his parents Aulton Dowdy and Aliene Dowdy Burch and stepfather, Darwin Burch.  Those left to miss his smile, generosity, quiet demeanor, and his many talents are his wife, Diane of Plainview; his daughter, Shannon (Mathew) Kneisler and their son Boaz Zane; his daughter, Dayna (Leo) and their three children, Owen Dale, Hugh Dal, and Gwyn Ann of Groom, Texas. He happily welcomed two step-grandchildren, Heather Bradford (Stephen) of Tempe, Arizona and Josh Kneisler of Phoenix, Arizona. Also, surviving is his sister, Linda Burnett, (Dub) of Albuquerque, New Mexico, brother, Roy Dowdy, of Moore, Oklahoma, and brother, Troy Dowdy (Debbie) of Oklahoma City, Oklahoma and sister-in-law, Marolyn Dowdy of Versailles, Kentucky and his brother-in-law, Jim Shramek (Cheryl) of Fontana, California and brother-in-law Frank Shramek of Apple Valley California. In January Roger was blessed to enjoy family members including aunts, uncles, cousins, nieces, and nephews uniting together at the loss of his mom.  The family dog, Bella, is at loss of Roger’s passing, and she was a loyal companion until his death.  Our deepest thanks go to Baylor University in Dallas and Area Community Hospice. Also thank you to all who have supported Roger and Diane in with love, support and especially prayers over the last three years as he battled with the cancer.   The presence of our Lord has been and continues to be felt.  In lieu of flowers for those who may want to participate, the family would like to honor Roger with a “more lasting” tribute with a gravesite memorial marker from those who cared and loved him.