Gwen Thomas "Skeet" Rawson , age 83, of Tenaha, Texas passed away on Sunday, August 24, 2014 in Lufkin Memorial Rehab Hospital in Lufkin, Texas following a severe illness.

A memorial service will be held at 2:00 P.M. on Thursday, August 28th, 2014 at Watson & Sons Funeral Home in Center, Texas. Prior to the memorial service, there will be a visitation held beginning at 12:00 noon, and his family invites all of his friends to attend.

"Skeet", as he was known to his friends, was born on March 21, 1931, in San Augustine County to Thomas Blackwell Rawson and Audrey Sanders Rawson. He was the middle son of three boys. He attended Tarleton State University and graduated as a "Fighting Texas Aggie" from Texas A&M University in 1951 with a Bachelors Degree in Animal Sciences. Skeet used to say that he was at A&M when there were not any sidewalks and no girls! He was an active student at Texas A&M and served on their cattle judging team as well as a member of A&M's national championship horse judging team. Upon graduation, he served in the United States Army.

He began living in Tenaha when he went to work for Arbor Acres Farms, a poultry and egg raising business and he later owned Tenaha Milling Company, a feed mill specializing in custom feeds and fertilizers. He worked every day there until its close.

Skeet was a member of many community organizations in Tenaha through the years, and served as a school board member and as school board President during some turbulent times in the community.

His favorite pastimes were bird hunting and he loved to raise and teach dogs and go hunting with his friends and family. He also loved to read and spent many hours enjoying classic literature as well as his favorite author, Louis L'Amour.

Skeet went by many names to many people. To his daughters and son, he was always "Daddy" and to his nephews he was Uncle "G". Many of his business associates knew him as "G.T." and his friends knew him as "Skeet". His three grandchildren knew him as "PopPops" and they loved playing cards and playing catch with him.

He is survived by his wife, Analea Rawson, of Tenaha, his daughters, Renee Rawson Phillips and her husband, Kirk, of Prosper, Amanda Jackson, and her husband John, of Cayuga, and a son, Matt Rawson of Tenaha. He has three grandchildren, Jeremy Phillips, Jordan Phillips and Nathaniel Jackson. He is further survived by his three "special" nephews, Mike Rawson, Bob Rawson, and Joe Rawson. He also has one surviving brother, Dean Rawson.

He was preceded in death by his father, Thomas Blackwell Rawson, his mother, Audrey Sanders Rawson, and his beloved brother. D.D. "Ace" Rawson.