Published: June 17, 2009 12:18 am      

Brown McGaughey

WICHITA FALLS — R. Brown McGaughey Sr., 88, of Wichita Falls, died the night of June 14, 2009, at Hospice of Wichita Falls. Services are at 11 a.m. today at University United Methodist Church with military honors, officiated by Pastor Bryan Payne, Pastor Travis McGaughey and Reverend Dean Libby. Interment will be at 11 a.m. Thursday at East Mount Cemetery in Greenville.

Hampton Vaughan Funeral Home of Wichita Falls is in charge of arrangements.

Brown was born July 15, 1920, in Greenville to Winnie (Brown) and Wycliff P. McGaughey, DDS. He married Rowena McKinley on June 4, 1945, in Hamilton.

He attended University of the South in Swanee, Tenn., for two years and then joined the Army Air Corps and graduated from Fort Stockton, Calif., with the class of 41-G. He served overseas in North Africa flying a C-47 with the 62nd Troop Carrier, pulling gliders and dropping paratroopers. Among his many heroic deeds was his participation in the invasion of Sicily. Brown McGaughey retired heavily decorated from the Air Force Reserves as a lieutenant colonel.

Following the war he returned to college and graduated from Texas A&M with a degree in animal husbandry. He was employed as an assistant county agent of Denton County and then became a full-time farmer in Lavon.

Mr. MGaughey was employed by the General Adjustment Bureau in 1954 and retired with GAB in 1985. He moved to Wichita Falls in 1993 and became a full-time rancher.

Mr. McGaughey was a member of the Shriners, and was an active member of University United Methodist Church and joined friends of his Sunday school class in worship and anticipated his weekly Thursday morning Men's Bible Study.

Mr. McGaughey was preceded in death by his brother, Wycliff McGaughey.

He is survived by his wife of 64 years; three children, Shannon Baade and husband Duane of Lewisville, Elizabeth Payne of Montgomery, Texas, and Robert McGaughey Jr. and wife Sheila of Wichita Falls; six grandchildren, April Lyle, Wendy Tinney, Bryan Payne, Travis McGaughey, Jayson McGaughey, Doug Wimberley; and six great-grandchildren with two more on the way.

Honorary pallbearers are grandsons Travis McGaughey, Jayson McGaughey, Bryan Payne, and great-grandsons Matthew Lyle, Scott Lyle, and Todd Lyle.

The family requests memorial contributions be made to University United Methodist Church or Hospice of Wichita Falls.