RIDGECREST — Funeral services for Raymond Dale Cowan, 60, of Ridgecrest, who died Saturday Feb. 12, 2011, at St. Francis Cabrini Hospital in Alexandria, will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday at Young’s Funeral Home Chapel in Ferriday with Bro. Michael Cowan officiating.

Burial will follow at Cypress Grove Cemetery under the direction of Young’s Funeral Home of Ferriday.

Visitation will be from 6 to 9 p.m. today at Bougere Baptist Church.

Mr. Cowan was born on April 1, 1950, in Ferriday, the son of Raymond Cowan and Velma Cowan.

He was raised on Excelsior Plantation enjoying a lifetime in the outdoors hunting and fishing.  Dale was a pilot, coached peewee football in Monterey; he also served his country in the United States Army National Guard.  He worked in the oilfields of Saudi Arabia as a project engineer.  Dale began his career in law enforcement as a deputy sheriff for the Concordia Parish Sheriff’s Office and has worked throughout the Miss-Lou in various capacities.  Most recently he was elected as chief of police in the town of Ridgecrest, where he lived.

He was preceded in death by his parents; and one granddaughter, Sarah Marie Cowan.

Survivors include his wife, Gayle Ann Cowan; two sons, Stephen Cowan and wife, Kim, of Abilene, Texas and Michael Cowan and wife, Chasity, of Doloroso; one daughter, Elizabeth Cowan, of Vidalia; lifetime friend, Deborah Cowan; brother, Johnny Cowan and wife, Sharon, of Monterey; and 16 grandchildren, Cody Cowan, Savannah Cowan, Cole Cowan, Cory Cowan, Sarah Cowan, Kaitlyn Cowan, Hayden Cowan, Selah Cowan, Maggie Cowan, Joel Cowan, Caleb Havard, Leah Havard, William Anderson, Bridget Anderson, Brent Clark and Ashlyn Stuckey.

Pallbearers will be his brothers in law enforcement

Honorary pallbearers will be Glen Franklin, David Hedricks, Donald Coco, Keith Crane, John Stuckey, Jimmy Watts, Dennis Cowan and Tony Stephens.

Online condolences may be sent to the family at www.lyoungsfh.com.