September 1, 1931 – June 9, 2021
BOWIE – Rita June “Nanny” White Heard, 89, Bowie, TX, went home to be with the Lord on June 9, 2021 in Denton, TX.
The funeral service will take place at 10 a.m. on June 12 at the First United Methodist Church in Bowie, with the Rev. Steve Martinez officiating. The burial will follow at Oak Hill Cemetery in Stoneburg.
June was born Sept. 1, 1931 in the home of Winnie and Ike Parks in Bowie. She attended Bowie school where she fell in love with Gordon “Pop” Heard during elementary school, even though he threw rocks at her. June was the vice president of her senior class, Future Farmers of America sweetheart, co-editor of the Maroon and White, majorette for one year and drum major of the award-winning Bowie Band for three years, member of the annual committee, director of the Bowie Band Show and majorette at Texas Christian University.
June and Gordon were married on Aug. 28, 1949 at the First Baptist Church in Bowie. After attending TCU, June joined Gordon in Lubbock where they attended Texas Tech University. Following Gordon’s graduation, they returned to Bowie in 1951 where Gordon joined his father to own and operate Heard’s Hardware Furniture and Appliance. June was the store’s buyer for all furniture and giftware and always regaled her family with stories of her annual trips with her daughter and daughters-in-law to the Dallas Gift Market.
June and Gordon were later joined by their son, David, in managing the daily operations of the family business. June could also be found behind the cash register, in the gift-wrapping department, assisting with the bookkeeping and greeting customers with her infectious smile until they retired and closed the store on Sept. 8, 2003.
June and Gordon also owned and operated the 5 Bar Ranch, albeit she was no cowgirl. However, she hosted many holidays at the ranch including many picnics, Easter egg hunts, and infamous barbecues.
She was a member of the First United Methodist Church where she served on almost every committee in the church including trustees, daycare board, Methodist Women, president of the Women’s Society, choir member and also served as a Sunday School teacher.
She was a past president of the Bowie parent-teacher association, band parents association, member of tennis moms, Boy Scouts troop volunteer, a charter member of the Bowie Amity Club, member of the Maids and Matrons Club of Bowie, a longtime volunteer for Meals on Wheels, served on the board of the Bowie Memorial Library as well as the Bowie Hospital Auxiliary. June also thoroughly enjoyed meeting with her dear friends each month for Bridge Club. June and Gordon also were honored as the Grand Marshals of the Bowie Christmas Parade.
She and her husband Gordon were charter members of the Bowie Educational Foundation. They proudly promoted and encouraged the continued success and education of Bowie High School graduates. They raised three of their own Jackrabbits together: Bob Heard, David Heard and Julie Heard Wallace. A large part of her life was spent as a proud supporter of the Bowie Jackrabbits.
She never missed any little league, basketball, volleyball, football, baseball, band contests, twirling competitions and tennis tournaments cheering on her children and grandchildren. She was always at the front row of every send-off waving her Jackrabbit flag. Not only was she an avid supporter of her Bowie Jackrabbits, but embodied the spirit of the motto, “Jackrabbits Forever.” At the last count, her home displayed over 823 of Jackrabbits.
After retirement, June and Gordon enjoyed adventuring across the United States in their RV and traveling the world. They also spent many summers with their children and grandchildren hiking around their beloved Estes Park, CO in the Rocky Mountain National Park. It was an annual tradition that continued for many years. In fact, her to be 90th birthday celebration was already planned in Estes this coming fall.
Nanny was famous for her artistry in birthday and holiday cards for family, which always included a $2 bill with a paper jackrabbit. She beautifully created needlepoint Christmas stocking heirlooms for her children, grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She was an amazing artist – she loved to paint with oils, watercolors and sketched, with many of her works reflecting the Rocky Mountains and aspen trees that were so dear to her heart.
June also was an excellent cook. Nanny and Pop’s home was the gathering place for all holiday events. She delighted in having her children and grandchildren assist in the preparation of these holiday extravaganzas.
In addition, for many years they hosted their dear BHS alums with an annual Christmas party as well as an Old Fools’ Spring Golf tournament. In her later years, she delighted sitting on the lake house patio counting waves on Amon Carter Lake drinking her sundowner with a twist of lemon. She never failed to miss an episode of Wheel of Fortune, cheering on her beloved Dallas Cowboys, singing Fight Raiders Fight for her Texas Tech Red Raiders, and playing for hours with her great-grandson Beckett.
Nanny was the true testament of a God-fearing Christian, loving wife, devoted mother, grandmother, great-grandmother and friend.
She is preceded in death by her husband, Gordon Emin Heard; grandfather, Emin Charles Heard; grandmother, Una Heard; grandfather, Hardy Elijah Overstreet; grandmother, Martha Carolyn McNeil White; father, Robert Toombs White; mother, Lena Mae Overstreet White and brother, Robert Lynn White.
Survivors include her sons, Robert Willis Heard and wife, Mindy, Las Colinas; David Gordon Heard and wife, Sharron, Bowie; daughter, Julie Wallace and husband, Ward, Bowie; sister, Linda and husband, Bob Fitzner, Bowie; sister-in-law, Gail White, Bowie; grandchildren, Jonathan Heard, Paige Delgado and husband, Mike, Somer McCormick and husband, Cameron, Amber Garrett, Tara Jackson and husband, Ben, Blake Wallace and wife, Tiffany, Shelbi Wood and husband, Nathan and Madison Wallace; great-granddaughters, Jacie Garrett, Avery Garrett, Bella McCormick and Mackenzie Delgado; great-grandsons, Callan McCormick, Bennett Jackson, Rylan Delgado, Beckett Ward Wood and Banks Everett Wallace; great-great-grandson, Oaklynd Delgado and numerous cousins, nieces, nephews and a host of friends.
Arrangements entrusted to the White Family Funeral Home of Bowie.
If friends desire, memorials can be made to Bowie Educational Foundation PO Box 992 Bowie, TX 76230 or First United Methodist Church Memorial Fund 1515 Jefferson St. Bowie, TX 76230.
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