Owen McDougal
June 4, 1945 — May 27, 2024
Selmer, Tennessee
Owen McDougal
Born June 4, 1945, in Paducah, Kentucky, Owen was the son of Boyce Owen McDougal, Sr. and Garnett “Shady” Williams McDougal. The phrase “after him, they broke the mold” came into circulation quickly after his birth, according to his half-sister, Margaret. Though he was the son of the Chief of Police, Owen was known as a wild child and a bit of a troublemaker. Underneath it all, he was a wonderful and faithful friend to many. After Shady passed away in 1965, Boyce married Norma. Owen gained three step-siblings – Richard and Donald Lichtenberg, and Jeannie (Lichtenberg) Newcomb.
He worked for the city of Paducah, KY, and later for the city of Dresden, TN. He loved his job, mostly because it allowed him to be around so many people. He loved being around people!
After several attempts, he finally got it right in 1995 when he married Bobbye Dale (Ellis) McDougal. At the same time, he inherited two daughters whom he loved as if they were his own – Kelly (Sanders) Misenhimer and Andie Sanders – as well as two precious grandsons – Drew and Kyle Wheeler. In the years to follow, he would add to the family: two wonderful sons-in-law – Jason Misenhimer and Shane Wheeler; three more grandsons – Parker Wheeler and Collin and Carter Misenhimer; granddaughters-in-law – Mallory Wheeler, Faith Harbin, Claire Wheeler, and Kailyn Burkeens; and two great-grandsons – Keanu and Cyrus Wheeler. For a man who many thought would never settle down, he sure did love his big family!
Owen loved to read, to watch a good ballgame (any sport, but baseball was his favorite), and to have a cold beer and a shot of whiskey. He was a storyteller – and boy did he have stories to tell! Anyone who ever spent five minutes with him can attest that he was the life of the party. He was also an odd bird. He had his own way of speaking that became known in the family as “Owenisms.” It wasn’t uncommon to hear him say that someone “don’t favor a shovel” or that a difficult situation “ain’t no hill for a stepper!” At family gatherings, he would encourage everyone to “gobble” even though he was well-known for “grazin’.” He loved food, but it’s impossible to name his favorite dish. Any meal that Bobbye Dale made was “wunnerful!”
Prior to his decline, Owen made it very clear that he didn’t want a fuss made over his death. (We can all hear him now saying, “Don’t worry ‘bout me!”) Later this summer, his family will have a private celebration of his life. If you’d like to celebrate Owen, go have a cold beer, a shot, or a pizza. He would love that. In lieu of flowers, the family has asked that you make a donation to the Alzheimer's Association at alz.org.
To order memorial trees or send flowers to the family in memory of Owen McDougal, please visit our flower store.
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