Gene Arlen Deveny

DEVENY, GENE ARLEN Gene Arlen DeVeny, 72, passed away Thursday, December 26, 2002 after a long battle with cancer. A memorial service will be held at 1:30pm Saturday, December 28 at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Chapel, 6101 Bosque Blvd. Mr. DeVeny was born September 17, 1930 in San Angelo to Joe and Betty DeVeny and was preceded in death by both. DeVeny, a native Texan was a member of the 1948 Waco High School championship football team. He attended and played football at Texas A&M and Angelo State College and worked at several jobs before becoming a full-time artist in 1970. A sixth generation Texan, he grew up with a passion for history and a penchant for authenticity that are strikingly apparent in his widely known military and historical woodcarvings and bronzes. His painted woodcarving depicted with painstaking accuracy the color of the uniforms and the way they were worn. He was a worker of wood, bronze and stone and was well known for his military and historical sculptures and woodcarvings. His passion for historical accuracy was apparent in all of his work. Many of his carvings and castings are in museums and private collections in the United States and Europe. He was honored by membership in the Company of Military Historians—the most prestigious group of its kind in America today. He was inducted in 1972 into the Institute of Indian and Western Art, where he was associated with the top western and Indian artists and sculptors. He had a close relationship with western artist Randy Steffen, who was of Sioux heritage and had lived among the Plains indians. In 1973, to commemorate the 150th Anniversary of the Texas Rangers, he produced 150 bronze “Frontier Battalion” Texas Rangers statues, one for each year of the famous Rangers service. In 1973, a Texas Ranger bronze statue was presented to President Richard Nixon. He was a proud member of The Commemorative Air Force/Ranger Squadron of Waco. He was one of fifteen dedicated members assigned to restore a Douglas A-26C in 1980. He was honored to paint the nose art of a Hauco Indian Princess on the A-26, and the members voted to name the airplane the “Spirit of Waco”. He was always very proud to be a “Ghost Squadron” member and looked forward to participating in every air show. He will long be remembered by his many friends as a person who made a difference in all that he did and in each life that he touched. He is survived by his brother, Leon DeVeny and sister-in-law, Patricia DeVeny, of Greenville; niece, Dianne DeVeny of Dallas; and nephew David DeVeny of Greenville; and his beloved dog, Brandy; and a host of other relatives and great friends. In lieu of flowers, contributions may be made to the Commemorative Air Force Ranger Wing, 300 South 20th St., Waco, TX 76701. Memorial guestbook at www.wilkirsonhatchbailey.com WILKIRSON-HATCH-BAILEY