George Ronald Cowan

GEORGE RONALD (RONNIE) COWAN
May 11, 1941 – November 30, 2025

Cedar Fork, Beulaville, NC George Ronald (Ronnie) Cowan, 84, passed away peacefully at his home surrounded by his loving family.

Funeral service will be held at Community Funeral Home in Beulaville, NC on Thursday, December 4, 2025 7pm, visitation to follow. Burial at Cedar Fork Community Cemetery, Cedar Fork Road, 967 Cedar Fork Road, Beulaville, NC at 11:00am

Born on May 11, 1941, in Duplin County, NC Ronald was the son of the late George Russell Cowan and Ila Odell Simpson Cowan. A proud graduate of Beulaville High School.

After graduation Ronald moved to Durham to begin his career as an offset printer for Duke University. Ronald also worked at Blue Cross Blue Shield in the offset printing division. He met the love of his life Donna Bunn Cowan, and they married on October 18, 1963. After getting married they decided to return to his hometown of Beulaville to settle in the Cedar Fork area. They have 2 sons Rusty Cowan (Allison) of Beulaville and Neill Cowan (Bethany) of Durham.

In 1964 when they moved back to the Cedar Fork area, they started chicken farming maintaining 5 chicken houses. It was a family endeavor where everyone worked together for it to be a success. The blizzard of 1980 destroyed the chicken houses. Ronald began his career at Camp Lejeune where he continued his offset printing career until West Minister contracted him out of his position and he went to work at Lot 201. Ronald was a loader or rail cars for the military and a train engineer. He attended many different classes to further his education in Chicago, Atlanta, and Florida.

Ronald was an avid cyclist and has participated in the MS Bike ride for 29 years and was sponsored by several local churches and organizations to raise money for MS. He also participated in the Reel Housewives of Topsail Island annual bike ride in October of each year. Ronald rode 250 miles per week for many years around the Cedar Fork area and surrounding counties meeting people and making friends along the way.

He was Scout Master for the local Boy Scouts for several years and impacted many lives.
Ronald is survived by his wife of 62 years, Donna Bunn Cowan, Beulaville; grandchildren Dakota Cowan, Montana Cowan, Bailey Rauseo, Madison Turner (Gage), and Rilee Cowan; great grandchildren, Peyton Cowan, Brantley Wooten, Caspen Rauseo, Carter Turner, and Maizie Wooten.

He was preceded in death by his father George Cowan, mother Ila Odell Simpson Cowan, brother Waitus Cowan, sisters Becky Cowan and Joanne Brown.

Donations in memory of Ronald to the Alzheimer's Association www.donorservices.alz.org or Multiple Sclerosis Association www.classy.org
Ronald was a very kind, generous man and loved to help his community any way he could.

Community Funeral Home of Beulaville is honored to serve the Cowan Family.