JASPER — A lifetime of service to rural East Texas was celebrated Tuesday, Oct. 7, as community leaders, elected officials and family members gathered for the dedication of the Ron A. McMurray, M.D. Mediplex in Jasper. Gov. Greg Abbott, U.S. Rep. Brian Babin and state Rep. Hillary Hickland were among those attending the ceremony at the Air Rescue Medical helicopter base, honoring a physician whose decades of service helped shape healthcare throughout Jasper County. For McMurray’s family, however, the occasion was about much more than recognizing a respected physician, military veteran and community leader. It was about honoring a father and husband who devoted much of his life to helping others. “The word thank you doesn’t seem big enough, that’s for sure,” Hickland said in an interview following the ceremony. “It’s really overwhelming and moving because, you know, I grew up seeing him working in the community, seeing him gone a lot, late nights, early mornings, and never wanting recognition for it necessarily.” Hickland attended alongside her mother, Joanne McMurray, and sister, Adrienne Tomlinson. During her remarks, Hickland recalled accompanying her father on late-night hospital visits, spending time in the hallways of Mary Dickerson Hospital and getting to know the nurses who worked alongside him. She explained that her father viewed providing healthcare as a ministry, particularly for families who struggled financially. Growing up in poverty and witnessing relatives denied medical treatment shaped McMurray’s determination never to turn away patients because they could not afford care. Abbott praised that commitment, emphasizing the importance of expanding healthcare access in rural communities. “Texas where where you live doesn’t decide whether you live,” Abbott said, describing the state’s vision for rural healthcare. The 29-acre medical complex includes two medical buildings and an air rescue facility, expanding access to medical services for Jasper County residents. Babin, who knew McMurray personally, reflected on the physician’s military service, decades of medical practice and leadership with the Jasper Hospital District. He also presented the district with a certificate of special congressional recognition and an American flag flown over the U.S. Capitol. Joanne McMurray briefly addressed those gathered, thanking the community for remembering her husband and continuing his commitment to healthcare. For Hickland, the dedication ensures that future generations will remember not only her father’s accomplishments, but the compassion behind them. “I can’t tell you how much it means for him to have this recognition that it was unto something bigger than himself, something good, and that his name will be remembered,” she said.