Henry Anthony "Tony" McCown

Tony McCown, age 59, of Louise, Texas went to be with his Lord and Savior on August 12, 2024. He was a wonderful, husband, father, grandfather, neighbor, and friend. He is survived by his wife of 30 years, Amy Schoener McCown, two children: Jacob McCown and McKenna McCown, Son- in- law Zachary Wigginton, and his grandson, Owen McCown. To Owen he was affectionately known as ‘Pop”. He is also survived and will be missed by his siblings, nieces, nephews and many close in-laws.

Tony was born in Victoria and spent his high school years in Seadrift, Texas. He could be quite a handful for his dad, Hollis and sweet stepmom, June. He loved playing practical jokes and could be found many weekends at the local dances getting into mischief. There are medical records to prove it. He graduated from Calhoun High School in 1984 and continued to enjoy his bull-riding, dancing, and wild flirtin’ ways until he met Amy Schoener, the love of his life whom he married in 1994. Shortly after they married, they moved to Edna and eventually to Louise, Texas to work and raise a family.

In his youth Tony was a bull rider/bareback rider and was often seen at the local rodeos. After a few injuries he decided to take on an even less dangerous job (not) as a rodeo clown. He loved playing guitar with his siblings at family gatherings and at the local church as part of the Praise Band. For several years he served as a volunteer Fireman in his community. You might have known Tony from working at Formosa where he started as a welder and in true “Tony fashion” eventually was promoted to running the Formosa Railyard. He was an integral part of the Formosa community for the last 31 years. He loved that place and mostly loved the people he worked with there, as they were an important part of his life.

Raising their children in rural Texas there were lots of opportunities for hunting and fishing. The family camped with friends all summer long at the bay in their RV. The children would all play together while the grown-ups would BBQ, play games, have Wahoo Wars, fish, and shoot the “bull”. Tony was an avid gun collector and loved his many “Boy Toys”. He and Amy 4- wheeled and rode rangers with friends through the back woods of Louise, blazing trails through the underbrush. Always thinking ahead, he usually let his friends go first so they would take out the spider webs and giant spiders.

Tony loved life, his family, friends and God. It seems Tony never met a stranger. He was always ready with a snappy comeback and a quick sense of humor. He could always be seen laughing at a joke or telling one. His children can tell you all about the infamous “Dad jokes”. Tony had several favorite phrases and his future son- in-law Zach, got him a T- shirt for Father’s Day with one of his favorites, which says “I’m the MAN”. Tony was known as a real prankster. He would often send Jake and McKenna to his truck on some pretext and then turn out lights and lock the door. This often resulted in sleepless nights for the kids

One of the things that made Tony such a great friend to many is he meant what he said, and he wasn’t one to back down from a challenge. What you saw was what you got with Tony. Tony’s social life was centralized around Amy, the kids, his grandson, and his many family members and friends. He was one of those guys that loved to be home with his family or have friends over to enjoy food, drink and fun. Tony took to the job of being a grandfather (Pop) like a fish to water. His grandson, Owen was a real light in Tony’s life. Tony was frequently seen riding the Ranger and calling the cows up so his grandson, Owen could feed them. Tony was also known as the “fun Uncle” to his many nieces and nephews and he treated them like they were his own kids. Everyone loved it when family gatherings were held at Tony and Amy’s house, because they knew they were in store for great food and liquid libations coupled with a large dose of friendly skeet shooting competitions and target practice. There were times, there was so much shooting, the local police probably just avoided the area entirely.

Tony was an integral part of his local community, which he loved. His presence within the community will be missed. You may remember Tony cooking burgers under the Football stands, hollering at one of the many Louise, Hornet sporting events his kids were in, or taking hundreds of photos at those events. He never missed a football, basketball, or volleyball game. He was frequently ejected from the games due to his vocalization of his thoughts regarding the game and the qualities of the referees and umpires. He thought it was funny and did not consider it a successful tournament if he was not ejected at least once.

Know that each of you brought joy into Tony’s life, making it richer with your laughter and friendships. He and the family appreciate each one of you for your many acts of kindness, your friendship, prayers, love and support. Know that he felt blessed that you were in his life, and he was enriched by your loving relationships.

Tony’s journey through his cancer treatment was met head on with countless family and friends, also known as “Tony’s Tribe”. During the long days of treatment, doctor’s visit, surgeries, and chemo-therapy treatments, Tony kept his wry sense of humor along with his quick wit. He was still teasing, flirting and joking with the chemo nurses until the end. When they would ask him if he needed anything he frequently replied, “some Jameson would be GREAT!”

The family wishes to thank the AMAZING Oncology Care team at UT Health/Hermann Memorial Hospital in Houston and the countless healthcare workers that steadfastly took care of him the last 18 months. Thank you to Houston Hospice of El Campo for your guidance and care in his final months. Also, a special “Thank You” to the many friends and neighbors in the local community who stepped in to provide love, prayers, food, run errands, doing repair work or helping with day-to-day tasks. We would not have survived without “Tony’s Tribe”.

Visitation will be held on Saturday, August 31, 2024 from 9:30 a.m. to 11 a.m. followed by a Celebration of Life Service beginning 11 a.m. at Rosewood Funeral Home in Victoria, TX 3304 E. Mockingbird Victoria TX 77904

In lieu of flowers, the family request donations be made to:

Houston Hospice of El Campo PO Box 1417, El Campo, TX 77437 or

UTHEALTH HOUSTON PO Box 20268, Houston, TX 77025-9998. Web address:

Giving.UTH.edu/memorial or

Wharton County Cares PO Box 362 Wharton, TX 77488

Henry Anthony “Tony” McCown

December 21, 1964 — August 12, 2024

Eulogy written by: Debbie Campbell Bruns

To Tony’s family and friends. I'd like to begin by expressing heartfelt thanks on behalf of the family for joining us to celebrate the life of our brother, Henry Anthony “Tony” McCown. It was no easy task for our sister Debbie Bruns, to put into words the full essence of Tony—who he was, what he meant to us, and how deeply he touched our lives. It took Debbie some time to put together these thoughts, simply because encapsulating the vibrant spirit of Tony in a few words seemed almost impossible. After some reflection and a few messy tears, a poem called “The Dash” came to mind. While Tony wasn’t exactly a poetry enthusiast—he’d probably roll his eyes at us for even mentioning it—these words seemed to perfectly capture the essence of his life.

Here’s a little bit of the poem “The Dash” with some Tony-inspired revisions. “I read of a man who stood to speak at the funeral of a friend. He referred to the dates on the casket from beginning to end. He noted that first came the date of his birth and spoke of the following date with tears. But, he said what mattered most of all was the dash...between those years. For that dash represents all the time that Tony spent alive on earth. And now only those who loved him know what that little line is worth. For it matters not how much you own, the trucks, the ranches, the cattle, the cash, or how many bulls you rode for 8 seconds; what matters is how you lived and loved and how you spent your dash.”

Tony spent his dash well. He lived life and loved those around him to the fullest, with gusto and authenticity. He had a need for speed and spontaneous fun, loving the challenge, the adrenaline rush. He lived life much like he drove anything with wheels and a gas pedal or rode anything with hooves, hide, and horns.

ALL IN!

When he got thrown off, he got up, dusted himself off, and got back on. Sometimes with stitches and a cast but he persevered. When he decided that bull riding might get him killed, he traded his bull rope for a rodeo clown outfit, deciding it was safer to fight the bull on the ground. After all, as he was fond of saying, “I’M THE MAN!”

Henry Anthony “Tony” McCown was born on December 21st, 1964. He already had two brothers at home waiting for their special Christmas gift. Gary, the oldest at 14, had a special name for Tony that accompanied their special bond. He is the only one of us that calls Tony….Henry. Gary, as his forever big brother, was Henry’s cornerstone. A foundation he could count on. Like a compass always pointing true north. Gary was always there. Consistent. Stable. He was Henry’s role model and his sounding board when life got tough, not afraid to rein Henry in when he needed it. Gary set the example for Henry to work hard, pick his friends wisely, do what’s honorable and be a good man. Theirs was and is a close relationship and an unbreakable bond. Brother Mickey was 7 when Tony arrived and equaled his energy. They were rambunctious playmates or partners in crime as mother used to say.

Gary and Mickey were lucky in that they knew and loved Tony from the beginning. Debbie recalls… Tony came into Debbie’s life at the age of seven, when his father, Hollis McCown, married Debbie’s mother, June Mullins Campbell. The Campbells and the McCowns became a blended family of five boys and one girl. Jackie Campbell, Gary McCown, Mike Campbell, Mickey McCown, Debbie Campbell Bruns, and baby brother Tony, in that order. Tony fit in right away, moving from city life in Sheldon just outside Houston, to the tiny seaside country town of Seadrift. A bonafide Bayrat! He took to our country life like a duck to water. He wanted a big brim cowboy hat and cowboy boots right away.

He loved having four older brothers at his disposal. They made a great band of brothers when Tony would sit with Jackie and Mike playing guitars and singing at family gatherings. There was nothing Tony couldn’t do! Hunting, fishing, water skiing, guitar playing, riding horses and roping, rodeoing and ranching, boot scooting, and snuff spitting!

And for a bonus, a cool big sister named Debbie to spoil him and run interference for him as needed at mealtime or during after school homework. Mother and I lived next door to each other in Seadrift which accounted for the wellworn path between our two houses. Tony, Wendy, and Kasey constantly ran back and forth, looking for the best snacks, playing and scaring each other at every opportunity. My mother, June, took mothering Tony very seriously. Cooking was one of her specialties so surely she could get Tony to try fresh vegetables from the garden she and Hollis grew. Tony, on the other hand, was a hard core frozen french fries, mac & cheese, meat and potato kind of guy. Cereal, pop tarts, pizza, and sweets were ok; however, anything green, forget about it!

Lima beans invoked immediate gagging. I often checked in during one of their mealtime stale mates. “Just try one bite”, mother would say. When mother left the dining room, Tony, who looked like he could barf any minute, would shift his gorgeous, thick lashed eyes, sparkling with mischief, to mine and nod toward his plate. Hurry, the nod said! Without hesitation and in one swift motion, I saved my baby brother from broccoli. As I swallowed, I winked and kissed him on the top of his head, which became a special tradition between the two of us. We quickly learned each other's cues and I’m sure my mother had a hard time keeping a straight face on many occasions. The only thing Tony hated more than green vegetables were homework! He would say, “I’ve been at school all day doing that stuff!” It’s time to play. I’m a real cowboy! And it wasn’t because he wasn’t smart. Too smart for his own good, really. He just didn’t see the need. Tony’s school teachers quickly fell under his charm as well or he would still be in Junior High School. They said, “Oh, Tony is always smiling and so polite. He is just so darn cute and we love him to pieces!”

When Tony turned twelve, his testosterone started kicking in. He was getting a little big for his britches so mother and Hollis asked Tommy Fisher if Tony could start working a little at the Cedar Dam Ranch. Keep him busy and out of trouble. Maybe fast track him to a PHD….which is code for Post Hole Digging!

Tommy took him under his wing, paid him a little money so he could feel it in his pocket and learn about what to do with it. Plus, it gave him some responsibilities a little at a time. Tony took pride in being a working man on a real cowboy ranch. Of course, with the work came a lot of fun. Tony learned to ride a #3 scoop shovel down a half mile ditch of frozen water in a 15 degree blowing norther on that ranch, with Tommy Fisher himself, pulling the shovel behind his open topped jeep.

With the end of that season in Tony’s life, he could build a strong, tight, straight fence, paint and clean up his mess, and work cattle, among many other things that happen on a real working cattle ranch. “He became dependable”, Tommy said, “but I never did teach the boy to quit losing fence pliers. “Painting the pliers bright yellow helped some, but I would find those yellow pliers all over the ranch in different places for years. There’s too many funny stories that come to mind, too many to tell…….suffice it to say, Tony made a good man.”

Tony, in his early teens, accepted the Lord as his personal Savior, in his little hometown First Baptist Church. He found and became the part of many different families during his life in Seadrift. He had a blended family, a large extended family, a church family and a school family. He loved his rodeo family and his work family. But Tony didn’t fully understand the meaning of head over heels, heart pounding love that made him want to start his own family until one night at a very crowded dance in Port Lavaca. According to Amy, Tony couldn’t get down the aisle between the tables because of all the people so he climbed up on the table with a drink in one hand and a cigarette in the other. Tony proceeded to boot-scoot down the table to get to the dance floor, and to a girl named Amy Schoener.

Amy told her best friend, “I have to meet that cowboy!” And she did. Amy’s best friend said, “That was the day I lost my best friend because that was the day Tony became Amy’s world”, where he remained for the rest of their life together. Amy was 17 and Tony was 23. They dated for 5 years.

When Amy was student teaching, due to graduate in December, she asked Tony, “How about a March wedding?” Next thing she knew, he was taking her to pick out a ring. They married March 5th, 1994. Tony became a part of another family, the Schoener family. He is affectionately referred to as the fun uncle.

His sister-in-law Teresa remembers first meeting Tony when she needed a favor. She needed Tony to help her haul hay for a hippo therapy project she was volunteering with. Amy and Tony had not been dating long so she was virtually a stranger but they jumped in his old red truck, driving for hours to pick up that donated hay. To his surprise, Amy and Teresa knew nothing about loading hay, stacking hay, or unloading hay. But they got it done with Tony’s help. Teresa said, “He’s a keeper!”

That was just the way he was - always willing to fall in to help family or a neighbor or a stranger. They will always remember all the celebrated holidays and vacations, camping and grilling, great meals and domino games. Teresa admits she even loved it when Tony chose “Witchy Woman” as the ring tone on his phone for her. “I will miss his voice in the background when I call Amy, Tony saying, in his playful way, “Why is she calling again and what does she want now!”

Just when Tony thought he knew everything about love, commitment, and family, along came a baby boy named Jacob, in December 1996. Tony was so proud. He approached fatherhood just like he did everything else in life. He wanted to teach Jake everything in full on Tony fashion. Jake too loves anything with wheels and has a need for speed. A match made in heaven. This accounts for Amy’s gray hair. Jake was a cowboy like his dad so of course horses were involved. Once, when Jake was 6, Tony allowed him to ride his horse with wind pants and rubber boots. They were having a little father son horse race when Jake's horse suddenly put on the brakes, sending the little slick panted cowboy into the dirt below, landing on his head and shoulder. Screaming and crying, Tony, the accident expert in the family, told Jacob to shake it off and get back up on that horse. “You are fine,” he said. Nope! Didn’t happen! Wound up in the ER with a broken collarbone in two places. Jake decided to stick to four wheelers after that.

In March of 1999, along came a pink, rose lipped little girl named McKenna, that rocked Tony’s world. She had him wrapped tight around her little finger before they got her home from the hospital. How am I gonna father this little girl in full on Tony fashion with pink bows and frilly lace? Not to worry, she could give as good as she got! They were big pals and loved to pick on each other. Her Dad always knew she hated bugs or anything that crawled but still he chased her around the house with them anytime he found one. (Except spiders. Spiders were Tony’s kryptonite.) Well, this time was no different when he found a lizard in the living room. McKenna knew instantly the race would be on so she took off for her bedroom with her Dad following close behind with the creepy lizard in tow. She tried slamming the door to her room shut at about the same time her Dad decided to stick his foot in the door to prevent her escape. Not one of his best ideas! And that is how he lost his big toenail, left a bloodstain on my carpet, and was mad at me for days, like it was my fault *big eye roll*. Dad no longer chased me with creepy crawlers after that.

McKenna said -My Dad was also my Driver’s Ed teacher. I know, right! For practice, he would let me drive home from after school practice (which is only 5 miles of backroad). Well, he would either take my water bottle or spare water he kept in his truck and pour it on me while I was driving, laughing all the while saying, “Stop swerving!” What are you doing? Like it was my fault! I would yell back, laughing as well, “I’m driving you crazy? You are driving ME crazy!!” Dad would say “I’m just preparing you for any distractions when you get your actual license.” Like yeah, having water poured on you is such a common distraction for drivers. This sounds more dangerous than it was; we were cracking up the whole time. My Dad loved to horse around and pick and laugh. So fun!

In May of 2020, an unexpected gift arrived in the family. A blessing so big and a light of pure joy so bright, everyone was blown away, especially big hearted Tony. A grandson named Owen. Owen made Tony’s dash complete. They are two peas in a pod. All boy through and through and so like his POP! That’s what Owen calls Tony. POP! They are so alike they don’t really need words to communicate yet you can’t get a word in edgewise when they are together. Boots and hats. Anything with wheels! They could spend hours looking at the cows and riding around in the ATV. Following POP around, in fact, at a very early age, Owen could recognize the sound of Tony’s truck approaching. Owen would drop everything, run to the window, pointing and exclaiming loudly POP! POP! The love between them was and is boundless and eternal.

As we come to the end of this celebration of Tony’s life, it’s clear that Henry Anthony McCown was and always will be a unique and irreplaceable gift to all who knew him. His presence, with that infectious smile and twinkle in his eye, left a lasting impression on everyone he met. Tony was always the life of the party, whether you knew it was a party or not. Tony was one of the good ones—a man who lived fully, loved deeply, and left us with memories that will forever bring a smile to our faces. Though we already miss him terribly, we take comfort in knowing that Tony is now fully well, embraced in the presence of the Lord.

Dear Tony, We already miss your infectious smile, your voice and just your presence, your full on zest for life, your firm handshakes that meant something and your big bear hugs. We remember your infamous mustache and your iconic one liners, even your picking and your pranks. As we all go our separate ways today, I am pretty sure Tony’s looking down with that familiar grin of his, saying, “Glad you got to see me!”