Mr Roy Hollar "Rusty" Powell's Obituary
Born February 1, 1945, at the Midland Army Air Force Base in Texas, Rusty grew up in Isleta and Midland, graduating from Midland High School in 1963. With his marriage in 1968, he formed a family with Virginia Ann Varley and her young daughter Julie, whom he subsequently adopted. In due course, Julie was joined by four siblings: two sisters and then two brothers. The young family resided variously in Denton, Houston, and Dallas. Stints at the Univ. of North Texas, Eastfield Community College, the Univ. of Texas at Arlington, and the Univ. of Texas at Dallas yielded Rusty a BSEE degree in 1992----although he had started out years before as a music major.
Meanwhile, he worked mainly in lithography as a four-color cameraman when this was still a process done by hand, relying on one's trained eye. Eventually during these years Rusty also became an adjunct instructor at Eastfield Community College, teaching mostly nighttime electronics courses. Rusty's career in telecom as a technical editor included jobs with Alcatel, Nokia, and Huawei.
Always involved in music in both church and secular arenas, Rusty was a tenor in the Irving Chorale for many years. He was an avid photographer of nature and landscapes, particularly wildflowers and sunsets. He passed away on December 20, 2022, of congestive heart failure.
Rusty was preceded in death by the three members of his nuclear family: father James Powell, mother Myrtle Tillman, and sister Nancy Armstrong. He is survived by his wife of 54 years, Virginia Ann, as well as five children, ten grands and four great-grands as follows: (1) Julie Johnson with sons Wesley Powell (Laura Ventimiglia) and Bryan Johnson, plus daughter Kailey McClain (Kenny), with their sons Levi Powell, Mason McClain, Jacob McClain, and Caleb McClain. (2) Daughter Joy Collins (D.C.) with son Ryan Layton (Kaylee Campbell). (3) Daughter Sharon Bryant with son Roland Espinoza and daughter Madeline Bryant. (4) Son Aaron Powell (Stacy Mynar) with sons Jack Powell, Tyler Powell, and Bennett Powell. (5) Son Caleb Powell (Laura Flynn) with son Jackson Powell.
Survivors include also three nieces along with a number of grandneices, grandnephews, and great-grands, as well as Rusty's step-mother Harriet Powell plus an aunt, Ann Debnam (Travis) and various cousins.
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