Keith Parker Cowand

Dr. Keith Parker Cowand, a retired Dallas school principal, transitioned to Heaven, on August 23, 2024, after a 92-year life. He was born in Floydada, Texas on December 28, 1931. He grew up in Fort Worth in a big family and was a resident of Mansfield, Texas for the last several decades of his life. He is survived by his wife Ruth Ann Duff Cowand; daughters Cyndy Baltzley (Jeff) and Stacey Jernigan (Jack); grandchildren John, Catherine, Hunter, and Jillian; great grandchildren Grayson and Brooks; his brother Bob (Beverly); many nieces, nephews and extended family—plus his “bonus” family (Ruth Ann’s children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren, whom he acquired when they married in 2015). Keith was preceded in death by his first wife of 61 years, Maxine. He was a long-time member of Mansfield United Methodist Church.

Keith received three degrees from the University of North Texas (a Bachelor’s, Master’s, and Doctorate in Education). While focusing mostly on education, he also minored in history, business administration, and economics. Before college, in the 1950’s, Keith was in the U.S. Navy, during which time he served on the U.S.S. Consolation and was deployed to Korea during the war, and also Japan and “Indochina” (n/k/a Vietnam).

Besides spending decades as a school principal in Dallas, Keith had a post-retirement gig working for a Palo Alto-based company that created computer software for use in early education. This job was perfect for a man who wrote his doctoral dissertation in the early 1970’s on the benefits of using computers in education, back at a time when most people had no idea what on earth he was suggesting.

In addition to his family, Keith loved golf, reading great books, and travel. In fact, golf was an intense passion. He coached golf as a young man and played in tournaments his whole life. He made three holes-in-one during his lifetime, and his goal the past several years was to score lower than his age (which he accomplished often). Until six months ago, he was playing golf three times a week. 

Keith shared with his children a strong work ethic, resilience, the value of a good education, the joys of life-long learning, and the importance of faith and family. He devoured books, joyfully shared them with family and friends, and traveled to as many countries as he could. He took great pride in his family’s accomplishments and shared them with every friend who would listen. His legacy will live on through his family who loved him and also in the many students and teachers whose lives he touched in education over decades. 

Anyone who feels so inclined may make a donation in Keith’s honor to “ZOE Empowers Ministry” c/o Mansfield United Methodist Church, 777 N. Walnut Creek Dr., Mansfield, TX 76063. ZOE is a ministry aimed at addressing poverty and neglect in orphaned and vulnerable children in Rwanda, India, Zimbabwe, Guatemala, and soon, in Tanzania.