Ernest Anderson Covey

Ernest Anderson Covey, 86 years old passed away peacefully in his sleep August 3, 2023, at Park Bend Rehabilitation and Healthcare Center in Burleson.

Ernest was born January 24, 1937 in Brown County, Texas, to Fred and Estelle (Sikes) Covey.

Ernest attended school in Bangs Texas, where he graduated with honors. He then left for Abilene Christian College where he majored in mathematics and minored in bible, also graduating with honors.

Before attending ACC, he met the love of his life Carolyn Francis Cupps-Covey at an Elvis Presley concert. They were both with another date. They later dated and married August 23, 1958.

After college, he held jobs teaching and preaching. He ended up in Las Cruces, New Mexico working for White Sands Missile Range. While in Las Cruces, they adopted their first child, Jolinda. He then moved to Louisiana where he worked for Chrysler Corporation. While there they adopted another child, Renee. Now back to Sharpstown, Texas where he worked for IBM. Again, they adopted another child, Michael. IBM then transferred us to New Jersey where he worked 3.5 years for IBM. Ernest eventually settled in Seabrook, Texas with a contract with NASA at the Johnson Space Center. Ernest had a brilliant mind and proved to be a great asset to the space program. He was very proud to work on the Skylab and Space Shuttle. He received awards for his invention that was used on the Space Shuttle Columbia.

Ernest loved fishing and dove hunting. He would fish with his dad all over Lake Brownwood and then taught all his grandkids. As the kids got older his favorite thing was trying to throw them off the inner tube while tubing. He would get so tickled. He enjoyed sitting out on the deck watching the birds feed. He would play board games and cards with the grandkids. He was very competitive and would use his mathematical skills to strategize, and usually won! His leadership as an elder in the church was his passion. He was an elder at every church he attended, till the age of 75. He was a dedicated church leader, husband, father and granddaddy.

Ernest made time every summer for his family to travel to the national parks, in the family station wagon and pop-up camper. These three weeks of torture, uh I mean fun, was making some of the fondest memories. He did have a funny bone and loved a good joke. When having sleepovers, he would put on a scary Monkey mask gloves and a trench coat and would come into our room and scare us! He thought that was hilarious! We loved the tiger tickle, when he would growl and tickle us until we couldn’t breathe. His favorite cartoons were the Wile E. Coyote and the Road Runner. His favorite comics were Snoopy and Family Circus.

Ernest is survived by his three children Jolinda Covey, Renee Queen, Michael Covey, seven grandchildren and 11 great grandchildren.

He was preceded in death by his wife Carolyn Covey, parents Fred and Estelle Covey and sister Wilma Wheat.

Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m. Friday, August 11, 2023, at the Austin Avenue Church of Christ. Burial will follow in the Bangs Cemetery under the direction of Heartland Funeral Home. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Thursday evening from 6-8 p.m.

Condolences, memories, and tributes can be offered to the Covey family at heartlandfunerahome.com