William "Ron" Dudley

Ron was born September 1, 1957, in Dyersburg, Tennessee, the first child of William Oren and Connie Sue Dudley. He grew up in this small city where it was safe to roam the streets in play with his friends because everyone knew your family and any misdeeds would be reported back to them before dinnertime. His summers were filled with baseball games (his Dad was the coach), trips to the library (he was an avid reader) and church activities. He was baptized at the age of 10 at Hillcrest Baptist Church in Dyersburg.

As Ron grew, his mastery of math became apparent and, even though he loved baseball and wanted to teach and be a coach, he was encouraged to consider training for an occupation that would better use his math abilities. He graduated from Texas A&M as what he was always meant to be, an engineer. He spent the next forty years as an engineer in the petroleum industry.

Shortly after graduating and getting his first job, he met the love of his life, Wendy, in Dallas on March 10, 1984. They both felt that God had brought them together. They would marry on August 20, 1988. Their union would bring them four beautiful baby girls. Ron and Wendy spent nearly 40 wonderful years together.

Ron and Wendy were transferred several times with his work making friends along the way both at work and in their neighborhood. Their lives have been devoted to making sure their daughters were given a Christian education that could sustain them both mentally and spiritually.

Ron was always active in his daughters’ interests. He coached their various teams, never missing a game or a track meet. He was passionate in sharing his knowledge, though his love for math was never totally received by his girls. He even stepped up to the world of ballet, volunteering backstage at his daughter’s performances. Anything his daughters valued, he invested himself in fully.

Following his retirement in 2016, he spent his days travelling the world with his love, catching games at Minute Maid with his friends and family, and spending lots of quality time at home with his beloved grandchildren. Ron was a man of few words but valued his loved ones greatly, constantly dedicating his time to helping others. He quietly donated to many charities throughout his years, making a personal goal to always donate more than each year prior.

Ron leaves a large family that will miss him terribly: his wife Wendy; his daughters Morgan, Rachel and husband Joe, Ayden, and Ryann; his grandchildren Liam, Iyla and Oren, his mom Connie, his sister Dana and his brothers Jeff and wife Robin and David and wife Kim.

In lieu of flowers, we ask that you honor Ron by donating to the Dan L Duncan Comprehensive Cancer Center. Ron was so appreciative of his team of doctors and health professionals that encouraged and cared for him in his final years of life.