Jackie Cowan

Jackie Ray Cowan was born to Andrew Jackson Cowan and Minnie Cleo Britton-Cowan on January 11, 1942, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma. Jackie grew up in Oklahoma City attending elementary through high school. He attended Northeast High School from 1958-1960. He was very active at Northeast by being involved in sports & clubs. He was in band and made 2nd chair baritone; he was in the student council, honor society and was captain of the football team. Jackie played football, baseball, ran track and wrestled at Northeast. He was All State in football his junior & senior years, All State baseball his senior year, won several track meets in the 100yd, 200yd, & 400yd relay and won several wrestling matches in his weight class. Also, while at Northeast he started dating this cute little blonde named Virginia Lynne Reising who had just moved to Oklahoma City and enrolled at Northeast.

After graduating High School in 1960, Jackie accepted a full scholarship to play football for the university of Oklahoma under legendary coach Bud Wilkinson. Jackie would tell the story of Coach Wilkinson coming to recruit him and paying a visit to the Cowan household in Oklahoma City with his family (his parents, brother Andy & sister Nancy) around him listening to Coach Wilkinson say, “Jackie, we want you to come play for the Sooners, and we’re offering you a full scholarship! What do you think?”  Jackie thrived on the team while playing for the Sooners as both a running back and a free safety. He had numerous very memorable matchups against national powers like Texas, Norte Dame, USC, Nebraska & Alabama just to name a few. He would tell stories of playing #1 ranked USC at the Coliseum in Los Angeles, playing Kansas and the legendary running back Gale Sayers and playing Notre Dame at the old Yankee Stadium. Before that Notre Dame game, Jackie asked his girlfriend Lynne what she wanted for her birthday. She said, “I would like a touchdown,” and that’s exactly what he did! He was voted MVP of that game and had the only score for OU that day while falling to the Irish 19-6. While at OU he also played on the baseball team playing center field, and he thrived on that field as well. Jackie was one of only 21 athletes in the history of OU athletics to letter as a 2-sport star for the Sooners. While in the classroom at OU, he was on the Dean’s list and was the President of the Physical Education Club.

After graduating, Jackie decided it was time to propose to that cute little blonde, and they were wed on May 25, 1963. While starting their marriage, Jackie took a coaching/teaching job at Central Junior High in Norman, OK, and did this as his 1st job. His next job was at John Marshall High School in OKC where he coached football, baseball and was the boys golf coach. He was named coach of the year in 1967. He took the baseball team and the golf team to the State Championship. While coaching at John Marshall, Lynne and Jackie had their 1st son Boyd, born February 1966. Jackie stayed at Marshall several years before he got a call from Coach Joe Means from a small little West Texas oil town named Odessa. He started his coaching/teaching job at Odessa High School in the Spring of 1968. He coached football and baseball and was part of several exciting years having knockdown/drag out matchups with state powerhouses in District 4-5A that was called the “Little Southwest Conference” until 1976. While coaching and teaching at Odessa High, Lynne and Jackie had their 2nd son Dallas, born January 1972. Jackie’s next job adventures from 1977 to 1999 were mostly all at ECISD in different roles, whether it be in administration or the classroom. Although his passion was coaching & mentoring young athletes, he decided to hang up the whistle to focus more on his family and his two young athletic boys Boyd and Dallas. This gave him the time to coach or follow his boys to all their school functions, practices and games throughout the years.

After retiring from ECISD, Jackie and Lynne enjoyed their retirement years- cooking out for the family, volunteering for Meals on Wheels, serving at their church and singing in the choir at 1st Presbyterian, traveling in their motorhome around the country and chasing their 2 beautiful granddaughters Kylie & Kyndal to all their sports and school functions. In 2013 Jack & Lynne moved to “The Parks Senior Living”. They have been a part of this community for the last 9 years and loved every minute of it with friends they already knew and new ones they have made. Everyone in the Parks Community has become like family.

Jack is preceded in death by his father Andrew Jackson Cowan, mother Minnie Cleo Cowan and brother Andrew Earl Cowan.

He is survived by his wife Virginia Lynne Cowan; son Dallas Cowan; son Boyd Cowan and his wife Teri Cowan; granddaughter Kylie Herren and her husband Kaleb Herren; great grandkids Klayton, Kolbie & Karter Herren; granddaughter Kyndal Cowan and fiancé Carson Carter; sister Nancy Prykryl and husband Mike Prykryl; sister-in-law Jewell Cowan and family; and many cousins and extended family.

Lynne and her family would like to thank ALL the wonderful people at Parks Skilled Nursing and Home Hospice Odessa for the love, care and support that was shown to Jack these past 6 months. She would also like to thank the staff at The Plaza for always being so loving and helpful these past 9 years and especially during this difficult time.

In lieu of flowers please send donations to:

Southwest Parkinson’s Society

3610 22nd St #300

Lubbock, TX 79410

Meals on Wheels

PO Box 15

Odessa, TX 79760

Salvation Army