Kenneth Ray Champion, age 88 of Buna, Texas went to be with his Lord, Jesus Christ on Tuesday, October 15, 2013.
He was employed by the Buna Independent School District for forty years as a high school English and Journalism teacher, then a counselor and during the last years there, he served as Curriculum Coordinator. Ken joined the First United Methodist Church in 1955 where he served in many capacities. Ken loved his family, his church, his job, the students he taught and the community in which he lived.
Ken served during WWII in the Naval Air Corp as a Radioman. Upon his discharge, he returned home to Nacogdoches, Texas and attended Stephen F. Austin University to pursue a career in journalism. He earned a Bachelor's degree in English and journalism. He married Bettye Marie Neely in 1946.
In 1948, Ken was hired at Buna ISD as an English teacher. After a short adjustment period, he realized teaching was exactly what God intended him to do. Although teaching was his calling, family responsibilities named Karen, Kathy, and Stephen, born within 3-1/2 years of one another, required that he do a few other things, too. Ken also worked at Kaine's Grocery Store before and after school each weekday and on Saturdays and half a day on Sunday, and he drove a school bus for Buna ISD. He became the senior sponsor, the yearbook sponsor, the school newspaper sponsor, but most of all, he became the man that so many students and teachers alike respected, loved, trusted and appreciated.
Later in his career, through Stephen F. Austin, Ken earned his Master's degree in Counseling. Shortly thereafter, he became the counselor for all of Buna ISD. After several years in this role, he then became the Curriculum Coordinator for Buna ISD, the position from which he retired in 1988.
After retirement, Ken achieved his life-long dream of being a journalist as the first editor of Buna's Beacon.
Ken is preceded in death by his mother and father, Zula and Ray Champion, his sister, Wanda Guilott and his great-grandson, Zachary Christopher Green.
Ken is survived by Bettye, his wife of 67 years, two sisters, Barbara Champion Pruitt and Betty Champion Stevick, three children, Karen Champion Bond and husband, David, Kathryn Champion Gish and husband, Elton and Stephen Kenneth Champion, and wife, Kay, ten grandchildren, Julie Motomura and husband Maz, Jason Green and wife Julie, Preston Bond, Matthew Bond and wife Amanda, Heather Champion and Ben Miller, Matt Turner and wife Traci, Bryan Freeman and wife Brandi, Lacy Beaver and husband Ryan, Stefanie Danos and husband Alan and Christopher Champion, along with many great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at EE Stringer Funeral Home in Buna on Thursday, October 17 from 5-8 in the evening.
The funeral services will be at The First United Methodist Church in Buna on Friday, October 18, 2013 at 2pm.
He was employed by the Buna Independent School District for forty years as a high school English and Journalism teacher, then a counselor and during the last years there, he served as Curriculum Coordinator. Ken joined the First United Methodist Church in 1955 where he served in many capacities. Ken loved his family, his church, his job, the students he taught and the community in which he lived.
Ken served during WWII in the Naval Air Corp as a Radioman. Upon his discharge, he returned home to Nacogdoches, Texas and attended Stephen F. Austin University to pursue a career in journalism. He earned a Bachelor's degree in English and journalism. He married Bettye Marie Neely in 1946.
In 1948, Ken was hired at Buna ISD as an English teacher. After a short adjustment period, he realized teaching was exactly what God intended him to do. Although teaching was his calling, family responsibilities named Karen, Kathy, and Stephen, born within 3-1/2 years of one another, required that he do a few other things, too. Ken also worked at Kaine's Grocery Store before and after school each weekday and on Saturdays and half a day on Sunday, and he drove a school bus for Buna ISD. He became the senior sponsor, the yearbook sponsor, the school newspaper sponsor, but most of all, he became the man that so many students and teachers alike respected, loved, trusted and appreciated.
Later in his career, through Stephen F. Austin, Ken earned his Master's degree in Counseling. Shortly thereafter, he became the counselor for all of Buna ISD. After several years in this role, he then became the Curriculum Coordinator for Buna ISD, the position from which he retired in 1988.
After retirement, Ken achieved his life-long dream of being a journalist as the first editor of Buna's Beacon.
Ken is preceded in death by his mother and father, Zula and Ray Champion, his sister, Wanda Guilott and his great-grandson, Zachary Christopher Green.
Ken is survived by Bettye, his wife of 67 years, two sisters, Barbara Champion Pruitt and Betty Champion Stevick, three children, Karen Champion Bond and husband, David, Kathryn Champion Gish and husband, Elton and Stephen Kenneth Champion, and wife, Kay, ten grandchildren, Julie Motomura and husband Maz, Jason Green and wife Julie, Preston Bond, Matthew Bond and wife Amanda, Heather Champion and Ben Miller, Matt Turner and wife Traci, Bryan Freeman and wife Brandi, Lacy Beaver and husband Ryan, Stefanie Danos and husband Alan and Christopher Champion, along with many great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at EE Stringer Funeral Home in Buna on Thursday, October 17 from 5-8 in the evening.
The funeral services will be at The First United Methodist Church in Buna on Friday, October 18, 2013 at 2pm.
Kenneth Ray Champion, age 88 of Buna, Texas went to be with his Lord, Jesus Christ on Tuesday, October 15, 2013.
He was employed by the Buna Independent School District for forty years as a high school English and Journalism teacher, then a counselor and during the last years there, he served as Curriculum Coordinator. Ken joined the First United Methodist Church in 1955 where he served in many capacities. Ken loved his family, his church, his job, the students he taught and the community in which he lived.
Ken served during WWII in the Naval Air Corp as a Radioman. Upon his discharge, he returned home to Nacogdoches, Texas and attended Stephen F. Austin University to pursue a career in journalism. He earned a Bachelor's degree in English and journalism. He married Bettye Marie Neely in 1946.
In 1948, Ken was hired at Buna ISD as an English teacher. After a short adjustment period, he realized teaching was exactly what God intended him to do. Although teaching was his calling, family responsibilities named Karen, Kathy, and Stephen, born within 3-1/2 years of one another, required that he do a few other things, too. Ken also worked at Kaine's Grocery Store before and after school each weekday and on Saturdays and half a day on Sunday, and he drove a school bus for Buna ISD. He became the senior sponsor, the yearbook sponsor, the school newspaper sponsor, but most of all, he became the man that so many students and teachers alike respected, loved, trusted and appreciated.
Later in his career, through Stephen F. Austin, Ken earned his Master's degree in Counseling. Shortly thereafter, he became the counselor for all of Buna ISD. After several years in this role, he then became the Curriculum Coordinator for Buna ISD, the position from which he retired in 1988.
After retirement, Ken achieved his life-long dream of being a journalist as the first editor of Buna's Beacon.
Ken is preceded in death by his mother and father, Zula and Ray Champion, his sister, Wanda Guilott and his great-grandson, Zachary Christopher Green.
Ken is survived by Bettye, his wife of 67 years, two sisters, Barbara Champion Pruitt and Betty Champion Stevick, three children, Karen Champion Bond and husband, David, Kathryn Champion Gish and husband, Elton and Stephen Kenneth Champion, and wife, Kay, ten grandchildren, Julie Motomura and husband Maz, Jason Green and wife Julie, Preston Bond, Matthew Bond and wife Amanda, Heather Champion and Ben Miller, Matt Turner and wife Traci, Bryan Freeman and wife Brandi, Lacy Beaver and husband Ryan, Stefanie Danos and husband Alan and Christopher Champion, along with many great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at EE Stringer Funeral Home in Buna on Thursday, October 17 from 5-8 in the evening.
The funeral services will be at The First United Methodist Church in Buna on Friday, October 18, 2013 at 2pm.
He was employed by the Buna Independent School District for forty years as a high school English and Journalism teacher, then a counselor and during the last years there, he served as Curriculum Coordinator. Ken joined the First United Methodist Church in 1955 where he served in many capacities. Ken loved his family, his church, his job, the students he taught and the community in which he lived.
Ken served during WWII in the Naval Air Corp as a Radioman. Upon his discharge, he returned home to Nacogdoches, Texas and attended Stephen F. Austin University to pursue a career in journalism. He earned a Bachelor's degree in English and journalism. He married Bettye Marie Neely in 1946.
In 1948, Ken was hired at Buna ISD as an English teacher. After a short adjustment period, he realized teaching was exactly what God intended him to do. Although teaching was his calling, family responsibilities named Karen, Kathy, and Stephen, born within 3-1/2 years of one another, required that he do a few other things, too. Ken also worked at Kaine's Grocery Store before and after school each weekday and on Saturdays and half a day on Sunday, and he drove a school bus for Buna ISD. He became the senior sponsor, the yearbook sponsor, the school newspaper sponsor, but most of all, he became the man that so many students and teachers alike respected, loved, trusted and appreciated.
Later in his career, through Stephen F. Austin, Ken earned his Master's degree in Counseling. Shortly thereafter, he became the counselor for all of Buna ISD. After several years in this role, he then became the Curriculum Coordinator for Buna ISD, the position from which he retired in 1988.
After retirement, Ken achieved his life-long dream of being a journalist as the first editor of Buna's Beacon.
Ken is preceded in death by his mother and father, Zula and Ray Champion, his sister, Wanda Guilott and his great-grandson, Zachary Christopher Green.
Ken is survived by Bettye, his wife of 67 years, two sisters, Barbara Champion Pruitt and Betty Champion Stevick, three children, Karen Champion Bond and husband, David, Kathryn Champion Gish and husband, Elton and Stephen Kenneth Champion, and wife, Kay, ten grandchildren, Julie Motomura and husband Maz, Jason Green and wife Julie, Preston Bond, Matthew Bond and wife Amanda, Heather Champion and Ben Miller, Matt Turner and wife Traci, Bryan Freeman and wife Brandi, Lacy Beaver and husband Ryan, Stefanie Danos and husband Alan and Christopher Champion, along with many great-grandchildren.
Visitation will be held at EE Stringer Funeral Home in Buna on Thursday, October 17 from 5-8 in the evening.
The funeral services will be at The First United Methodist Church in Buna on Friday, October 18, 2013 at 2pm.
Family Members
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
Explore more
Sponsored by Ancestry
Advertisement
