Raleigh Edmond Denison Jr.

Raleigh Edmond Denison, Jr. was born in Alpine, Texas to R, E. Denison, Sr. and Carolyn Louise “Dimple” Fox on June 15, 1935. He was the first born of their 3 children. He lived for a brief time in the Chisos Mountains in West Texas. His father was building roads that later became part of Big Bend National Park. He grew up in Lampasas, TX with his two younger siblings, Early Baggett Denison and Rebekah “Becky” Simmons Denison. He graduated from High School there and then attended Southwestern University for one year. Southwestern University is where he met Mary Bert Hewitt who would eventually be his wife of 67 years. They were married in the Southwestern University chapel in 1956. That same year he graduated from the University of Texas with a B.A. in English. The couple then moved to New Haven Connecticut where he attended seminary and their first child, Mary Sue, was born on Sept. 14, 1957. At the Berkeley Divinity School he received his B. S. Th. in 1959 and then moved to Pinedale, Wyoming where he served as an ordained Episcopal priest for 3 years and their second child, Rebecca, was born on October 17, 1959. The family then returned to Texas, where he again attended University of Texas at Austin earning an M.A. in English. Soon they all moved to Stephenville, Texas where he taught at Tarleton State University for 16 years. At the end of his tenure he was teaching English, French, Spanish, German, and Philosophy. He was especially fluent in German, which helped tremendously when he took the family to Europe two different summers in the 70’s. They then moved to Woodsboro, Texas (near Corpus Christi) where he taught English and Spanish in Woodsboro High School. Mary Bert also taught there in the elementary school. During his working years, He remained active in the Episcopal Church by serving as a vicar in several parishes all located in Texas. Three of those were in Dublin, Eastland and Goliad. He even filled in tor the priest when needed at the Grace Episcopal Church in Georgetown. In 1993 both he and Mary Bert retired and moved to Georgetown, Texas. Among his loves during his retirement was riding his bike on the country roads around Georgetown. He also loved to travel and took his wife on many trips both overseas and in the United States. He passed away peacefully at his home in Georgetown on March 22, 2024. He was 88 years old. He is survived by his wife, Mary Bert and their two children, Susie and Becca, and his younger brother, Early Denison of Houston, Texas, and numerous nieces and nephews.

Funeral services will be on Saturday, April 20, 2024 at The First United Methodist Church (410 East University Avenue in Georgetown) beginning at 2 pm. There will be a reception following the funeral. The burial will be at 4 pm at the Cornhill Cemetery near Jarrell.

Any donations may be made to Enhabit Hospice, who took great care of him for the last year of his life. Donations can be made online at www.encompasscares.org or checks can be written to Enhabit Cares and mailed to Enhabit Home Health and Hospice 6688 N. Central Expressway, Suite 1300. Dallas, TX 75206