Aunt Lucy will live forever in our hearts for her grace, quiet faith, unwavering kindness and, of course, hot fudge sundaes.
My sister and I, who grew up in Austin, spent some of the best days of our childhood in Clarendon with our beloved aunt, uncle and cousins. Despite a houseful of sometimes mischievous kids, Aunt Lucy never once raised her voice.
Our days were filled with horseback riding, Monopoly, "training" our turtles for the July 4 race, hanging out at ever-fascinating Saye's Tack Store in downtown, shooting off fireworks (while not always practicing the best of common sense), helping Tim dig a tunnel in the backyard, poking around the tornado cellar and so many other endless adventures.
I was thrilled to introduce my own California "city kids" and husband Mike to my old stomping grounds back when they were tweens. We saw the delightful musical "Texas" in the beautiful Palo Duro Canyon, went fishing, hung out with Terry and Danny's utterly charming teen and young-adult children, ate well and generally had a blast.
I loved spending time with Aunt Lucy and Uncle Tom on a trip to Israel with Aunt Myra in the mid-1980s. I will never forget Uncle Tom tricking me into sitting on the back of a camel that then cackling when it stood up, lifting me to terrifying heights. At every market, the new grandparents bought a toy for little Dale.
Aunt Lucy and Uncle Tom made it to so many of my milestones no matter the distance--including my wedding in California and my kids' baptisms in Austin. At age 90, she and her big sis even came to my daughter's Austin wedding.
Needless to say, Aunt Lucy was enormously important to me in so many ways. Her sister Betty, my mother, died when my sister and I were toddlers. Fortunately, Aunt Lucy stepped in to help fill a little bit of the huge hole my mother's death left behind.
Aunt Lucy was a beautiful soul. Love her so!