Gene Mcvay

Harold Gene McVay was born on January 22, 1937 and left this life to join his Heavenly Father on Monday afternoon, December 24, 2012. Gene graduated from Elgin High School in May, 1955 and received a B.S. in science and agriculture education from Texas State University, formerly Southwest Texas State, in August 1959. After graduation, he married is true love, Shirley Jean Dunbar on January 24, 1959, and then served in the Texas National Guard including six months active duty in Fort Knox, Kentucky.Upon returning to Elgin, Gene began his bivocational careers in education at Elgin Junior High School, teaching seventh and eighth grade science, and as a rancher in September, 1960. The following year, Gene was hired as a vocational agriculture teacher and continued to touch and be touched by the lives of many students. He never forgot a name or face of his students nor the memories and stories attached to them. He greatly enjoyed these times and years. In July, 1984, Gene was hired as a Vocational Director at Elgin ISD and enrolled in the graduate school at Texas AM University where he earned a vocational administrators certification. Gene retired from Elgin Independent School District in June, 1988. He continued his ranching operation and worked parttime at the Smithville Auction Barn until its closure. He also worked cattle and assisted Dr. Bill Clampit in his veterinary practice for several years along with friends Pete Basquez, George Zapalac and others. He then began working at Hills Prairie Auction Barn until his body was no longer to withstand the hard physical labor ranching activities required.Gene began his lifelong love of farming and ranching as a very young child spending the summers working his grandparents farm near Hare, Texas. He learned to ride horses on a mule named Buck, who was the subject of many amusing tales he loved to recall. He learned to drive a wagon team by the age of ten on a couple of other mules, Button and Blue, and had dozens of funny stories about that pair. He loved to tell stories about some of the horses he rode, including a sorrel named Trouble and another named Double Trouble. At the age of 15 Gene went to work for Dimmitt White and Hood Tom, two prominent local ranchers. He would saddle his horse, Shorty, and ride out to Dimmitts place, then ride home at the end of a hard days labor. He loved the work almost as much as he loved and admired those two men. They taught him much which he tried to pass on to his family and the young people he worked with.Gene was a lifetime member of Elgin Central Christian Church. He was converted and baptized at an early age. He loved the Lord and was devoted to prayer and daily Bible reading. He was a firm believer in the power of prayer and often asked his wife and others to pray for him at Elgin Nursing and Rehab Center, where he resided the last nine months of his life.Gene was preceded in death by his beloved parents, William Rufus Bill McVay and Dorothy Nell Talley McVay his infant sister, Gayle Ann McVay and brother, Perry Wayne McVay. Gene is survived by his wife of 53 years, Shirley Jean Dunbar McVay his only daughter and son, Gina Lynn and son Mark Wayne the apple of his eye, his granddaughters, Courtney Paige McVay of Weimar and Leah Godfrey of Elgin and her children Leighton, Lindsey, and Lexie Cooper his sisterinlaw, Gayle McVay nephew, Cory McVay and wife Becky and their children, Cody and Colton Mitchel and Phillip Cates of Blue niece, Dena McVay Dunn and husband Kelly Dunn and their children, Jacob, Regan, and Kelton of Lampasas nephew, Damon McVay, Nancy Wilkins and their daughter, Addie Hibbs of Elgin sisterinlaw Mary Ann Moncure and husband Barry Moncure of Bastrop brotherinlaw Garland Dunbar, Jr. and wife Ann of Fallbrook, California and many friends and extended family. Gene is remembered by his family as a hardworking, strong, determined man who would spend hours fitting a square peg into a round hole until the job was done. His wife, who often assisted him, was often amazed that no matter how hard or seemingly impossible a task was Gene never gave up. The family thanks them all for their prayers, visits and support during his life, particularly the last months of his worsening illness and pain. We thank the Elgin Nursing and Rehab Center for their care, Hospice Austin for their care and guidance, the ministers and others who visited, talked and prayed with Gene, which made the long days shorter and more bearable. You kept the outside world alive and made Gene a part of it even when he could only participate in his heart and mind. Nothing is more beautiful than the love and attention given to Gene during his illness. The family requests any memorial contributions be made to the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, 6931 Arlington Road, Bethesda, Maryland, 20814 First Baptist Church Elgin or a charity of your choice. Again, our most sincere and heartfelt thanks to you all.The family will receive guests at the First Baptist Church of Elgin from 12:00 PM until 2:00 PM Friday, December 28th. A funeral service will be conducted at the First Baptist Church of Elgin at 2:00 PM Friday, December 28th with Pastor Jason Huddleston officiating. Interment will follow at Ridgeway Cemetery in Paige, Texas.