Obituary of Edward Hayes Stephenson

STEPHENSON, Col. (R-US Army) Edward Hayes, DVM, Ph.D. A gracious and thoughtful gentleman used up his allocation of heartbeats from God on July 18, 2018. Dr. Stephenson was recently diagnosed with a vicious case of Acute Myeloid Leukemia which took him quickly, leaving behind astonished and grieving family and friends. Ed began his life in Ada, OK on January 7, 1937. He moved to Texas as a young child, living in Big Lake during his school years and participating in raising lambs for show and calf roping, traveling around the rodeo circuit at that time. After high school, he attended Texas A&M University, earning his undergraduate and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine degrees. During that time, he married beloved high school sweetheart, Rita Mae Elms and they had three wonderful children, Scherri (Keith) Allen, Alisa Stephenson and Edward H. (Elaine) Stephenson, Jr. who survive. Shortly after graduating from college in 1962, he was drafted by the US Army at which time he was sent out on food inspection duties in the Boston Area. He later, while still in the Army, was able to enroll in a Master's degree program (U. of Wisconsin) and Ph.D. program (Colorado State University) specializing in Infectious Disease Research. He was assigned to research positions at Walter Reed Army Institute of Research and Ft. Detrick, MD for the rest of his career, retiring in 1986. He then spent 12 years in academia at the Virginia-Maryland Regional College of Veterinary Medicine, after which he spent 14 years on the road as a consultant for Homeland Security-sponsored courses, team-teaching classes for community entities in the Management of Bio-Terrorism attacks. Ed had lost his first wife to cancer in 1966. In 1967, while attending an Army Medical Department Advanced Course, he met classmate Ellen Dorstewitz, enjoying her company, but their military careers and other life circumstances kept them apart until 2003, when they reunited in Tucson, AZ and were married in 2005. They thoroughly enjoyed 15 years together, spending a lot of time on ships traveling to many parts of the world. Ed was also active in his faith community, St. Mark's United Methodist Church, working to improve the visibility and participation in the Endowment Fund among other program areas. Ed always approached life with a professional, enthusiastic, let's get it done style which contributed to his success over his lifetime. He was preceded in death by his parents, William H. and Beryl Rae Stephenson and sister, Anita (Fred) Myers. He is survived, along with his wife, Ellen and children, by several grandchildren and great-grandchildren, brother-in-law, Fred Myers and nephew, Stephen (Sterling) Myers and many friends and colleagues. Private Services will be conducted in Odessa, Texas. To honor his life's work and memory, contributions can be made to the Endowment Fund at St. Mark's United Methodist Church, Tucson, AZ. Arrangements by ADAIR FUNERAL HOMES, Avalon Chapel.