Raymond Dowell Couser Jr., age 90, of Russellville died Saturday, August 7, 2021, at his home. He was born March 11, 1931, in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma to Raymond Dowell, Sr. and Rachel Green Couser.

He attended school through the tenth grade in Los Angeles, California.  The family moved to Oklahoma in 1947, where he graduated from Stillwell High School in 1949.  He attended Northeastern State College in Tahlequah, Oklahoma until the outbreak of the Korean War when he joined the United States Navy.  He served aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Oriskany for a year and after preparatory school he served with a Military Air Transport Service unit stationed at Moffett Field California, as an aviation metalsmith. He left the Navy in 1953, and returned to Northeastern State College where he met and married Miss Barbara Ann Burk in 1954.  He graduated from N.S.C. in 1958 and was awarded a Teaching Assistantship at the University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma.  He received the M.S. in Zoology in 1960.  He taught at Baker University, Baldwin, Kansas for three years, retuning to O.U. in 1961 as a research assistant.  He spent the summers of 1961 and 1962 in Fairbanks, Alaska working at the Artic Aeromedical Laboratory at Fort Wainwright, on the bionomics of mosquitoes under the direction of Dr. Cluff E. Hopla, Professor of Zoology, Department of Zoology, O.U.  He also served as Special Instructor in Zoology for two years.  He came to Arkansas Polytechnic College in January, 1965.  He was awarded the Ph.D. in Zoology and Organic Chemistry in 1966.  He left ATU in 1996.

Raymond was a devoted husband and father.  He never sat still and was always building, painting, working outdoors, or baking and he enjoyed giving away his creations.  He was an avid birder, enjoyed singing old songs and telling jokes.  He was dedicated to the success of his students and had a sincere passion for teaching.

He was preceded in death by his parents.

Survivors include his wife of 67 years, Barbara; a son, Raymond Carl Couser; a daughter, Ruth Anne Richison; five grandchildren, Ryan Lee Couser, Robert Eric Couser, Sarah Frances Richison, Katherine Ruth Richison and Emily Ann Pendergraft; and 13 great-grandchildren and one due in September.

The memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 11, 2021, at the Shinn Chapel with the Rev. Jim Benfer officiating. A private burial for the family will be held at Rest Haven Memorial Park and under the direction of Shinn Funeral Service of Russellville.

The family will receive friends immediately following the memorial service in the chapel.

Memorials may be made to Arkansas Children's Hospital Foundation, Post Office Box 2222, Little Rock, Arkansas 72203-9984.

The online obituary and guestbook are available at www.shinnfuneral.com.