BILLIE JEAN JOSEPH AMEEN passed away in Houston, TX
on July 19, 2007 after a valiant battle with cancer.
She was born in Ranger, TX on March 10, 1925, to Dee
and Sharifi Joseph. She was educated in the Ranger
public school system and attended Mary Baldwin College
in Staunton, Virginia. In 1945, Billie married Dr. Ray
C. Ameen. Though predeceased by her brother, Fred Joseph
Dakour (RHS-1946), Billie is survived by her husband
of 61 years, Dr. Ray C. Ameen and her daughters, Sheryl
Ameen Fiegel and husband John of Cabin John, Maryland, and
Tina Ameen Cartwright and husband Donald of Boca Raton,
Florida. She is also survived by her brother, Azzatte
Joseph Dakour (RHS-1944) and his wife Mouphida of Dallas,
Texas. Her grandchildren, the delight of her life, are
Alison Cartwright Sykes and her husband Craig, Mark
Cartwright, Leland Fiegel and Andrea Fiegel.
To the joy of her family & friends, Billie was an accomplished
seamstress and skilled at handiwork. She enthusiastically
traveled the world, and as an avid collector of seashells;
Billie looked forward to her days on the beach, especially
Sanibel Island. She was an active member of the Village
Republican Women's Club & the Mary Baldwin Alumni Association.
Her love for children led her to volunteer her time at several
organizations that benefit children, in particular the Girl
Scouts of America and the Crisis Hotline.
HUSBAND: DR. RAY C. AMEEN passed away on Oct. 21, 2008
in Washington, DC from coronary artery disease.
Dr. Ameen was born in Mineral Wells, TX on July 11, 1921. He
graduated from high school in Paris, TX, at the age of 14
and continued his education at the University of Texas in
Austin and Texas Tech in Lubbock. Upon graduation, Ray was
among the first group of medical students to be admitted to
the newly founded medical school at Baylor School of Medicine
in Houston. He attended classes in an old Sears building and
worked at many different jobs, including selling shoes, waiting
tables and even playing saxophone in his own band. Upon earning
his MD degree, he was the youngest doctor in Texas. Dr. Ameen
did his internship in Des Moines, Iowa and soon after married
Billie Jean Joseph who would be his beloved wife for nearly 62
years. He then joined the Navy and was attached to the 2nd
Medical battalion in Kyushu, Japan as part of General MacArthur's
Occupation forces. He returned from military duty in 1946 and
opened a medical practice first in Ranger, TX and then in Houston.
In 1954, the Navy recalled him to duty during the Korean Conflict
as Senior Medical Advisor aboard a troop ship, and it would be
two years before he returned to Houston. In 1958, Dr. Ameen and
several other physicians joined together to offer medical care
to residents of the then-rural Spring Branch area of Houston. He
was instrumental in the building of Spring Branch Memorial Hospital,
one of the first to serve the area.
For almost sixty years, Dr. Ameen took loving care of thousands of
patients as their family doctor. In addition to his medical pro-
fession, Dr. Ameen was a highly respected stamp collector and
dealer. A generous mentor to many, he was a fixture at stamp
shows whether a small Texas show or a larger national and inter-
national show. He served as President and Board member of the
Texas Stamp Dealers Association and Vice-President and Board
member of the American Stamp Dealers Association (ASDA). In 1998,
Dr. Ameen was honored by the ASDA with a lavish banquet at the
Jacob Javits Center as their "Man of the Year".
Ray is predeceased by his wife Billie Jean and is survived by his
daughters, Sheryl Ameen Fiegel of Cabin John, MD and Tina Ameen
Cartwright of Boca Raton, FL, his grandchildren Alison Cartwright
Sykes of Durham, NC, Mark Cartwright of Chicago, IL, Leland and
Andrea Fiegel, both of Cabin John, MD and his great-grand-daughter,
Kierstin Rae Sykes of Durham, NC.