Deanne Conner Matney

Deanne Conner Matney, 81, a native of Amarillo, passed away on November 23, 2019. Memorial services will be at 2:00 p.m. Saturday, December 14, 2019 at Cox-Rowley Funeral Home. The only daughter of Max Darrow and Lorene Arterburn, Deanne was born in Lockney, Texas, however wanderlust drove her to live in New Mexico, California, Hawaii, Maryland, New York City, Seattle, Mexico and Germany before settling back home in Texas.

She first picked up a paintbrush in fifth grade and was a professional artist by the time she was 19-years-old. Although her first love was oil painting and acrylics, she also experimented in sculpture, wood carving and mixed media. In her artistic career, she launched more than a dozen one-woman shows and numerous group exhibits across the United States, Canada and Mexico. With a Bachelor of Science degree in art education from West Texas State University, Deanne was a patient and much-loved teacher, conducting workshops and classes to both beginners looking for expression and seasoned artists seeking greater depth and challenge.

A prolific and published poet, Deanne continued her education beyond the arts in psychology and hypnotherapy, and developed a thriving psychotherapy practice for a number of years before retiring at 79. Strong in her opinions and passionate in her politics, she advocated for animal rights and Democratic candidates with equal vigor, serving as a campaign manager in a handful of New Mexico legislative races.

Deanne Conner Matney is survived by two children, Mark Conner of New York and Holly Romero of Oregon, and her companion of 25 years, John Romero. Deanne was preceded in death by both parents and by her brother, Tony Arterburn. In lieu of flowers, Deanne has requested that donations be made to the SPCA of Texas.

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