Biography: William Adolph Owings died January 2, 2008 in Little Rock. He was born November 16, 1923 at Nacogdoches Texas and was raised near Brownsville, Texas. He served in the U.S. Navy during WWII and fought in several engagements including the Battle of the Coral Sea. He graduated Phi Beta Kappa in journalism from the University of Denver. He was a career officer in the U.S. Air Force and retired as a Major. He obtained a Masters Degree in Serbo-Croation language studies at the University of Indiana at Bloomington, and a PhD in history from Florida State University. He taught at Oklahoma City University and at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock. He was an expert on Yugoslavia, Serbo-Croation studies, and conspiracy and revolution, and his dissertation on the history of Communism in Yugoslavia is considered a definitive work in the area. He edited and published a transcript of the trial of the assassins of the Arch Duke Ferdinand, and wrote Provisions for the Many: Perspectives on American Poverty. After retiring as a full professor, he completed a Juris Doctorate at the University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law and practiced as an attorney for several years. He was a pilot, traveled extensively, and read voraciously. He was a gentleman, a soldier, a scholar, and was generally regarded as one hell of a guy. He had a rich life, was loved and respected by family and friends, and will be greatly missed. He was preceded in death by his second wife, Sheffield Christian Owings, his son, Brian Owings, and grandchildren, Michael Owings and Christopher Owings. He is survived by his first wife, Ruth Owings, and by four children, Richard Owings and wife Binnie, Anne Owings Wilson, Steve Owings and wife Tammy, Karen Owings and husband James Swindoll. He is also survived by grandchildren Stephanie Harris, Richard Owings II, Alex Owings, Rachel Owings, Daisy Owings, Ben Swindoll, Adrianne Owings, Fabian Wilson and Scott Wilson, by three step-children, Dodson Christian, Sheffield Duke, and Andrew Christian, and by his brother Van Owings and sister Margaret Bowers. A memorial service will be held at Ruebel Funeral Home, 6313 W. Markham, on Saturday, January 5, 2008, at 11:00 a.m. www.ruebelfuneralhome.com Memorials may be made to Children’s Theatre To Go, 15024 Gorgeous View Trail, Little Rock, AR 72210.