Ronny Looney leaves a lasting impression on the people and the town that he loved
There are people that we come across in life that make an impact. They live their lives in a way that they make an impression on you that never fades and they make contributions to your world that are forever etched in the cornerstone of the very foundation of a community.
That was the life of Ronny Looney. It doesn’t take any time at all when talking to those who knew him well to come to that conclusion.
Ronny was born on August 23, 1938 in New Boston, Texas to Evelyn Heath Looney and Billy Yantis Looney. On Tuesday, December 1, 2025, at the age of 87, he went to be with his Lord and Savior. He was a beloved father, grandfather, brother, uncle and friend. He was also a devoted husband, preceded in death by his beloved wife, Wanda Culpepper Looney.
Growing up in New Boston, Ronny was an avid athlete who excelled in every sport he played. His talent and determination led him to Baylor University on a baseball scholarship, where he became—and remained throughout his life—a proud and devoted Baylor Bear.
He owned and operated Looney Insurance Agency, where he devoted countless years to serving others with integrity, reliability, and genuine care. He was a proud veteran of the United States Army, where he served as an officer before he was honor-ably discharged in 1974. He was also a proud Master Mason, committed to the values of fellowship, service, and moral leadership that the fraternity upholds.
Through his Masonic work, and serving on numerous community boards and committees, he built lifelong friendships and contributed quietly and consistently to charitable efforts.
His faith was equally important to him; he was an active member of First Baptist Church of New Boston, serving as a deacon and teaching Sunday School. In his more active years, he could often be found cheering on the New Boston Lions, playing golf, or enjoying time outdoors hunting. Above all, he cherished his family, and as “Papa,” he adored his five grandchildren, who brought him immense joy and pride.
With that lifetime, Ronny left memories with all of those who loved him.
Jeff Atkinson shared, “My high school football memories wouldn’t be complete without thinking of Ronny Looney. From my sophomore through senior seasons, he was a fixture really a mainstay - in the Lion locker room. Before games, no visitors were usually allowed. Except Ronny. We used to joke that he was our team owner - our own version of Jerry Jones, but without any of Jerry’s bad qualities. Always sharply dressed, Ronny would show up before game time in a starched button-down shirt, pressed slacks, and shiny patent-leather shoes. Never once did he stroll in wearing warm-ups or a ball cap. That wasn’t Ronny. He made his rounds one player at a time, giving each of us either a good hard slap on the shoulder pads or a strong handshake, always with the same question: “You ready?” And you’d better believe we were after that. After the games, Ronny was right back with us - more excited than we were. I honestly don’t think he ever missed a game.” Atkinson shared another story by saying, “There’s another story - part truth, part legend - but every one of us believes it happened. My senior year we were playing Linden-Kildare for the district championship. Both teams were undefeated, and the stadium was expected to be packed. But during pregame warmups, we noticed something strange: the stands were completely empty. Not one New Boston fan in sight. Remember, this was long before cell phones. We were confused and honestly a little worried. How could our town not show up for this game? Word finally got back to us that a train was stopped in Maud, blocking traffic for miles. Cars couldn’t get through. Buses couldn’t get through. Our entire fan base was stuck. Then, right before kickoff, Ronny came sprinting down the sideline, out of breath and fired up, yelling: “Chief! There was a train blockage in Maud - but I got it separated, and they’re on their way!” To this day, I don’t know exactly how he did it. But knowing Ronny, none of us every doubted it for a second.”
Longtime friend David Daniel had this to say about his friend. “Ronny was a true man of God. He strived to bring unity not only to the church, city, and any organization that he was apart of while never seeking any praise. No one will ever know how much Ronny has done for the entire community sharing what the Lord has entrusted to him. He will be greatly missed and we all should strive to follow in his footsteps.”
And the stories of Ronny are just getting started.
New Boston ISD Superintendent Brian Bobbitt shared, “I’ve had the privilege of knowing Ronny since I was a kid in school, being a member of the Noon Lions Club with him for 18 years, and a fellow member of First Baptist Church. Ronny was the biggest New Boston Lion fan I knew. He was always there to lend an encouraging word, and a suggestion for how we could improve. New Boston ISD has benefitted greatly over the years from having community support, and Ronny was always at the forefront of those efforts.”
Author and former teammate of Ronny’s, Gene Wilson, said this of his lifeling friend.
“When we were in the 8th grade our baseball team, made up of players from the First Baptist Church and a few, including Ronny who moved from the Methodist Church, rode our red baseball bus to Dallas to play in the state championship tournament. We stayed at a new hotel, the Cotton Bowl Hotel. The tournament was played a few steps from the famous Music Hall in Big D.
Ronny pitched and won two games and somehow we won two more and captured the title. We came back home all excited. We also received red championship lettermen’s jackets, “Baptist Cubs” was on the front. Boy, were we proud. We carried that winning attitude all the way through high school where we won all of our games except two (if i remembered correctly).” Ronny was a man of strong faith and dedicated to serving the Lord, as witnessed by the story of Sunday School classmate, Fred Milton.
Milton told us, “The Ronny Looney Sunday School Class had its origin as an outreach ministry of First Baptist Church (FBC) decades ago when the church was located downtown New Boston. One of its first locations was in a building across the street from the old sanctuary owned by our former Mayor and his wife Johnny and Myra Branson. As the years progressed, the location moved to the old Bates-Rolf Funeral Home. When the FBC moved to its current location on McCoy Blvd, the class later moved to the Bates-Rolf Funeral Home location next door, where it continues to meet today. The Sunday mornings start with a time of fellowship a little after 9:00 AM with coffee and donuts followed by a time of prayer and Bible study. Prior to changing the name to honor Ronny Looney decades ago, the class was named after Ottis Keith Fox, a longtime coach and educator here in New Boston. Ronny became the teacher of this class after Ottis passed away in November of 1987 and taught this class every Sunday morning for decades.
Ronny approached teaching in a unique way, spiritually factual and straight forward, with a perspective that reached all class members, not only those who wore coats and ties, but those who came on Sunday morning from work situations in work boots and overalls. Following Ronny’s footprints as the teacher when he elected to step away was Fred Milton, and Rick Williams is the current teacher. Ronny faithfully attended, even when his health declined and his driving ceased, as fellow class members would ensure he had transportation to and from his home or Autumn Wind. His legacy will continue and history will record Ronny H. Looney as a faithful servant to his church and the people of New Boston, Texas.”
A story told by Brenda Stout reinforces the depth of Ronny’s faith.
She said, “Oh how I loved Ronny Looney! He loved his family, friends and community beyond measure. Ronny was so dedicated to his family, community and friends. We visited often and he always made me feel that he was so concerned about me and my own family. One of my fondest memories of Ronny was when his daughter, Leanne, was helping him write checks to pay his bills. When he started feeling better he stopped by and asked me about the amount of a check that was written for his church tithing. When I told him the amount he was like...no, no that’s not right. He ended up calling Leanne and had her correct the amount for his church tithing. He made it clear that he wasn’t going to reduce his tithing!
Ronny you will be missed dearly and always loved!”
Ronny was very supportive of the local prison ministry and Edna Walker knew him well.
She said of her friend, “I first met Mr. Ronny Looney Feb. 8, 2003 at First Baptist Church New Boston. I must admit I was a bit intimidated at first but that didn’t last long. I had moved back to New Boston to be the Hospitality Director for Telford Prison Ministries. All we had at that time was some old government housing apartments which we named the Samaritan House. We were trying to raise funds to build a visitation center at the Telford Unit and Ronny and Ms. Wanda donated to our fund and in 2005 we opened the Visitation Center. We realized as we were constantly having costly repairs at the Samaritan House that we needed to build a new overnight facility. Again Ronny stepped up and donated and Haven of Hope was constructed and dedicated. Ronny was most concerned about guys coming out of prison or guys just down on their luck. He would often call and tell me they needed to stay at the Samaritan House for awhile. If I did not have a space he would rent them a motel room. Ronny always encouraged me. When he would see me he would always say “How are you ‘hon,’ do you need anything? How are things at Telford?” I am going to miss that and him. My life like so many others was blessed by Ronny Looney.”
Another longtime friend of Ronny’s echoed the sentiments of others when it came to his love for New Boston.
Rick Ferguson told us, “I followed him though baseball. I followed him all the way through his career. He was quite the baseball player. Ronny was always looking out for people in the community. That was just part of him. He cared a whole lot about New Boston and the people in the community. In later years, I reconnected with Ronny and we would go out and eat. We would talk about family and I could always see that sparkle in his eyes when he talked about Wanda, and his two daughters and his five grandchildren. The love he had for them always shone through.”
Then come the memories from those who knew him best, and that would be his family.
Ronny’s nephew, Chad Duffer, not only had the pleasure of knowing him all his life and being a part of the family, but he also worked closely with Ronny at the New Boston SIDC/ CDC.
He stated, “Uncle Ronny was a servant. He was a man of strong faith and one who truly loved New Boston and the people that call it home. He had a sincere appreciation for everyone that did business with him over the years and wanted them to know it. I don’t know many that loved our Lions any more than him. He’s part of a respected generation that will leave a lasting imprint on our community. I know many people who looked up to him, respected him, and loved him. I am one of them, and I’ll miss him.”
Son-in-law Steve Walker remembered Ronny by saying, “Ronny had the kindest, biggest heart. He would do anything for anyone. I was very privileged to have him for my father-in-law. He was just the best. I loved talking sports with him. He relied on me to talk about Baylor sports, recruiting classes that kind of thing. He really was something special.”
Son-in-law Brian Howell continued to echo the same sentiments of others as he reminisced about the father of his bride.
He stated, “Ronny was a great and deeply involved father- in-law, and I’m grateful for all the times we shared. Some of my favorite memories are the times we spent hunting and golfing together, where he always found a way to make the day more fun with his stories and his quick, witty sense of humor. I’ll miss hearing him say things like “gosh e bum” and “I just don’t know,” little phrases that somehow captured his warmth and charm. Ronny was a man of faith who lived out his beliefs every single day, and his integrity showed in the way he carried himself and cared for the people he loved. He set a powerful example of what it means to put family first, and he made great sacrifices as a single father to raise Leanne, the love of my life.”
Daughter Lori Walker also recalled fond memories of her dad.
She told us, “When I was younger, he would always chuckle and call me his “city girl” because I lived in Tyler with my mom. Despite that distance, he was consistent about making sure he got me to NB on alternate weekends and the summers! He loved to introduce me as his “baby girl”. It was apparently pretty known back in the day that my dad sure would have liked to have a son:). God had a different plan with two daughters. He was the best girl dad though--he would take me to the golf course with him, and often take us to his hunting lease to get outdoors. Then I had his first grandaughter, Blake...and then along came Leanne’s triplets--three more GIRLS! Then...along came his only grandson, Ben. Dad beamed when I told him he would finally have a grandSON! The majority of the time, Dad would fondly refer to Ben as “the boy”. “How’s “the boy”? Does “the boy” like his job? Is “the boy” working hard?” He was with Ben when he shot his first deer, and was humored when he told him that he would have to clean that deer. He was the best “Papa” to all his grand-girls AND the boy!
She went on to say, “I miss him terribly, but having him as my dad makes me want to live like Ronny--helping others and loving those around me so well!”
His oldest daughter, Leanne Howell, said of her Dad, “My dad was the most self-disciplined man I have ever known, and his life shaped my understanding of what it means to live with integrity and purpose. He taught me to treat others the way I want to be treated, not just through words but through the way he consistently lived by The Golden Rule. He showed me what it meant to give—whether through service, financial generosity, or prayer—and he impressed on me the importance of doing things right or not doing them at all. Even in challenging times, his faith anchored him.”
She went on to share her thoughts on what made her dad who he was to family and friends, the community of New Boston, and all of those who had the privilege to know him well.
Leanne stated, “One of the best attributes of my dad was his unwavering desire to help those who were less fortunate. He gave back to the community of New Boston not only through his leadership, but also through the countless quiet ways he supported individuals and organizations in need. He always looked for ways to lift others up, offering his time, his resources, and his compassion without expecting anything in return. His generosity was never about recognition—it was simply who he was. I remember a time when I was younger when my dad and I had been fishing. We caught several fish and he insisted we stop and knock on the doors of the homes close to the pond to see if they needed supper for the night. As crazy as that sounds- he was determined that the fish we caught would help a family end their day fed and happy. He was that kind of father- someone who had a deep commitment to help others. Through his actions, he showed me what loving and helping others looked like- and it’s something I try to emulate for my own three daughters.”
Ronny Looney was a giant, a hero and a legend. He will always be remembered as a man with a kind and generous heart, one who loved with every fiber of his being...and Ronny Looney will be remembered in the stories of history as truly being “Mr. New Boston.”
