D. Terry Erwin, passed peacefully at his home, August 26th after a short bout with cancer. He was in the care of his loving wife, Burna, their kids, D’Wayne Erwin, Kelly Daigle and Patrick Frantzen, along with several relatives and friends.
First hired by the Texas Parks and Wildlife Department as Assistant Hunter Education Coordinator in 1987, Erwin served as Hunter Education Coordinator from 1990 through the year of his retirement in 2012.
We want to THANK the following for their memorial contributions in the name of Terry to Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association, Inc.
- Mr. Farr
- The Prather’s
- Mrs Weyel
- The Jackson’s
- The Hall’s
- Mr. Berlin
Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association, Inc., is a 501-c3 not for profit organization that uses all contributions to support the Texas Parks & Wildlife Department Hunter Education program and TPWD Hunter Education Instructors for the state of Texas. All your contributions are tax deductible and very much appreciated.
Among his many accomplishments, Erwin served as vice president, president and awards chairman for many years with the International Hunter Education Association and as hunter education host for eight IHEA Youth Dream Hunts as seen annually on Ultimate Outdoors TV show with Wayne Pearson. He was recipient of Safari Club International’s ‘Educator of the Year’ Award and many IHEA awards including the Ed Kozicky and Past President’s awards and the Hall of Fame Award in 2010. He attended many IHEA Conferences, Shooting & Hunting Outdoor Trade Shows and partner events throughout North America to garner agency and industry support for the Texas program.
One of his personal accomplishments was to visit every state, which he did when he and his wife, Burna, traveled to Alaska in 2018 – his 50th state! He helped Mexico, Peru and South Africa launch their hunter education programs, striving to contribute wholly at the national and international levels.
In Texas, Erwin oversaw a volunteer management program that certified more than a million students and over 7,000 trained instructors. He was instrumental in many efforts including managing the largest mandatory program in the United States, coordinating shooting sports events for over 10,000 individuals at 18 consecutive Texas Wildlife Expos, partnering with Future Farmers of America where he frequently presented to over 1,000 youth at national events, and developing industry partnerships and donations. He also was instrumental in the development of home study, apprentice (hunting deferral license), youth hunting program, Becoming an Outdoors-Woman and other efforts — all part of making hunter education more effective and convenient and creating more hunting and shooting sports opportunities for all Texans.
Known affectionately as a “Big Teddy Bear”, Terry was considered by his colleagues and friends as one of the nicest men they had the pleasure of working with, volunteering for, and/or meeting for the first time, along his journey. He enjoyed long-lasting relationships and had an impeccable memory – remembering names of individuals he met only briefly years earlier. He was skilled in medicine (his first vocation), the shooting sports and hunting and was sought by many to mentor them on such topics. He was greatly admired as a manager by his field and administrative staff, and by leaders at TPWD, who came to count on him as the definitive expert related to hunter education in Texas and beyond.
He will be sorely missed, but his family and friends know that he is hunting alongside his hunter education soul mates such as longtime friends and Area Chiefs, Billy Holt, Albert Ross and others in Heavenly hunting pastures.
A Celebration of Terry’s Life will be held:
Saturday September 5th, 2020
At 1:00 PM
Harrell Funeral Home
1715 Kirby
Kyle, TX 78640
Rest in Peace, Terry!
With our heartfelt condolences to the Erwin family,
Steve Hall
Hunter Education Coordinator
Texas Parks & Wildlife Dept
Memorials & Contributions for Terry Erwin
The Erwin family has requested that all memorials & contributions be made to THEIA or the Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association, Inc., the non-profit group that represents and supports all Texas Hunter Education Instructors in the TPWD Hunter Education program for the state of Texas.
Financial contributions may be sent to:
Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association, Inc.
POB 271523
Dallas, TX 75227
Hard good contributions may be sent the THEIA warehouse:
Texas Hunter Education Instructors Association, Inc.
3238 Executive Blvd.
Mesquite, TX 75149
Attn: L Hodgdon
