James Richard "Rick" Stevens

James Richard “Rick” Stevens walked into the presence of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, on Friday, August 13, 2021. Celebration of Life Service will be held Saturday, August 28, 2:00 pm, at Sunray Baptist Church, Sunray, TX. Visitation will be Friday, August 27, 6:00 to 8:00 pm, sanctuary of Sunray Baptist Church. Saturday’s service will be live-streamed on Facebook Sunray Baptist Church LIVE. Services have been entrusted to Beeson-Morrison Funeral Directors. Rick was born July 17, 1946 to Verlon and Geneva Ford Stevens. As a child of nine, he was born again when he trusted Jesus as his Savior. He was a longtime member of Sunray Baptist Church where he served as a deacon for over 25 years as well as a substitute adult Sunday School Teacher, a Youth Teacher, and Home Group Leader. The last three years he was a door greeter on Sunday mornings welcoming everyone who came through the door. Rick was a graduate of Sunray High School, then went to Texas Tech University in 1964 where he became a Saddle Tramp the first semester. He graduated in 1976 and loved to tell that he crammed 4 years of college into 12! He farmed for a year, then had a hog farm when Uncle Sam drafted him in 1971 and he joined the United States Air Force where he served for almost 4 years. He had a Top Secret Clearance and worked as an Imagery Interpreter Specialist. Nearly 48 years ago, on November 24, 1973, Rick married the love of his life, Marcia Lynn Block. God blessed them with two beautiful and wonderful daughters, Rebecca and Deborah. Rick was a business owner of Stevens Sales & Service for over 40 years and served customers throughout the northern Texas Panhandle. He sprayed both commercial and residential lawns with liquid fertilizer and weed control when needed, as well as installed and repaired underground lawn sprinkler systems. He was meticulous in his work ethic and it gave him great joy to do his best for his customers to give them beautiful lawns, often pointing out to Marcia many of the lawns he had proudly worked on. He was a longtime member of the Texas Panhandle Irrigators Association. In 1985, Rick heard a Gideon speak in church and he felt a heart-tug to become a Gideon. He thought all he would ever do was hand out Testaments to children in schools and put Bibles in hotels because that was the scope of his knowledge of The Gideons International at that time. He was actively involved in the Gideons ministry for over 36 years serving in many ways. He loved sharing Jesus with everyone he met. In January 2007, a granddaughter, Acie London Crownover, was born and she was the apple of his eye. As she grew, he took her into his workshop and showed her how to use a hammer, saw, and other tools. He loved playing games with her and he called her the Queen of whatever game they were playing. Rick was preceded in death by his parents, his second dad, D. Rex Langley, and brother Paul Langley. He is survived by his wife Marcia, daughter Rebecca and Jason Powell of Frisco, TX, daughter Deborah Stevens of Greenwood Village, CO; grandchildren, Acie Crownover, Ethan Powell, and Scout Powell of Frisco, TX; siblings, Ed and Beth Stevens of Bradford, PA, Verna and Dave Ehlert of Draper, UT, Carla and Floyd Brown of Corpus Christi, TX, Stephen and Tonia Langley of Pryor, OK, and Leslie and Paige Langley of The Woodlands, TX, as well as aunts, an uncle, and many cousins, nieces, and nephews. Memorial donations can be made to The Gideons International in memory of Rick at The Gideons International, Dumas Camp, PO Box 432, Dumas TX 79029.