Paul Cowley

Harrold Paul Cowley peacefully passed away on January 25th, 2022, at the young age of 81.
He was born November 26, 1940, in Abilene, Texas to Persie Silas and Bernice Olevia (Whitehead) Cowley. He graduated from Abilene High School in 1959 and attended Texas A&M for a year before transferring to Texas Tech University pursuing his degree in Education. While at Tech Paul worked odd jobs including an ambulance driver and delivered for Borden's Milk Company. Paul Married Jackie Jean Stephenson on November 29th, 1963, they later divorced July 18th, 1977. He graduated from Texas Tech in 1965 with a Bachelor of Science degree. He then started his first teaching job at Union School District in Terry County, teaching Vocational Agriculture and Industrial Arts (shop), where he also led the Future Farmers of America club. Through his 31 years of teaching, he also taught math, history, science, biology, and home economics. One of his many accomplishments was meat and cheese judging competitions with his students where year after year they would bring home top prizes. He was also the recipient of many teacher recognitions and awards. Mr. Cowley was senior sponsor for several years throughout his career where he was the yearbook supervisor and chaperoned the seniors on their senior trips traveling to Florida, The Bahamas, and many places in between. He took great pride in learning new things whether it was making a suit, complete with pleats and darts, or tooling leather boots and menu covers for his parent's restaurant in Potosi, to drawing up schematics for an antique windmill. He continued his education at Texas Tech and graduated in 1972 with a Master of Education. During his career, he attended many leadership, teacher, and FFA conferences where he was awarded Champion Domino Player, Champion 42 player, and Champion Black & White Adder at Area II FFA Leadership conferences. He retired from teaching in 1996 and moved to Ropesville, TX where he promptly picked up the skills needed to refurbish and install windmills, some of his work can be found at Cavender's Western Outfitters, Ranching Heritage Center, American Windmill Museum, and individual farms and ranches around the area. He was an active member of the American Windmill Museum where he put in many volunteer hours and served on the board from 2010-2016. He had many friends in the windmill community and kept up with them through the Vintage Windmill forum and attending the International Windmillers' Trade Fair every chance he got. Besides his teaching and windmill restoration, Paul loved woodworking, leather working, the one thing most people will remember him to be, a talker, he never met a stranger.
Paul is survived by his daughters, Jacqueline Shontal (Cowley) Carruth and Paula Danielle (Cowley) Ferguson, both of Lubbock; his grandchildren, Daniel and wife Kelsey Ferguson of Austin, TX, Sarah and wife Katie Beck of Haslet, TX, Tara Carruth, Jennifer (Lawson) Carruth both of Lubbock, TX; and great-granddaughters Isabella and Vanessa. He is also survived by his sister, Patricia (Rhodes) Godbee of Falkville, AL, and brother Tom and wife Wilda Cowley of Abilene, TX, along with many nephews, great-nieces, and great-nephews. Paul was preceded in death by his parents, brother-in-law James Godbee, and grandson Tanner Carruth.
Services will be held, Friday February 4th, 2022, 3:00pm at Connect Church (Church on the Rock, North Campus) 4501 Milwaukee Ave. Lubbock, TX 79424.
Contact Shontal @ shontal65@gmail.com or Danielle @ danieferguson21@icloud.com for any information.