Celebration of Life: Saturday January 30, 2021 at 11:00 AM at Evans Funeral Home
The family asks that his friends continue to help fight mental illness by directing Memorial donations to Blue Help at www.bluehelp.org
Obituary:
Myron Criswell Downey was born January 21, 1976 to Diane Criswell and Ken Downey in Columbia, Missouri, and left this life on September 29, 2020. He is preceded in death by his mother, Diane; one brother, Corey Pachmayr; his grandparents, Walter, and Helen Downey; and his close family friend, Karen Yates. Myron is survived by his son, Mason, and wife, Debra.
Myron spent many years of his childhood traveling the country with his father, but his most cherished childhood memories were spent with his grandparents in Seminole, Oklahoma. He moved to Houston, Missouri, during his high school years, where he worked at OK Tire Company while attending high school.
Myron graduated from Houston High School in 1994 and went on to attend Missouri State University and then Mineral Area College, where he earned his Associate of Science degree in Criminal Justice. Myron achieved his childhood goal in February 1998, when he was accepted to the Missouri State Highway Patrol Academy, where he would become commissioned as a Missouri State Trooper. He served as a Trooper in G Troop, and then later as a gaming agent in St. Louis.
While Myron was very proud of his service to the community as a law enforcement officer, he often bragged that his greatest achievement was his son, Mason Downey. Together, they enjoyed attending Cardinals baseball games, deer hunting, and attending auctions. Myron also enjoyed vacations to the beach as well as surprising his friends and family. It was on one vacation to South Padre Island that he quietly eloped with his childhood friend, Debra Wells. The two would later make their home in the St. Louis area.
After 20 years of service as a State Trooper, Myron became ill with a seizure disorder that forced him to end his career. Soon afterward, Myron was diagnosed with post-traumatic stress disorder and major depressive disorder. He began working with non-profit groups and mental health professionals around the country, and he found a passion for helping fellow law enforcement officers who were struggling in the same way. Unfortunately, Myron was not able to find reprieve for his illnesses during this life, and during an alcoholic relapse, he lost the battle against his ailing mental health.
It was in the work that Myron did during his final years that he became determined to fight against the stigma attached to mental illness in veterans and first responders. The family asks that his friends continue to help fight this battle by directing memorial donations to Blue Help at www.bluehelp.org.
