Louise Folliard Dillingham

Louise Folliard Dillingham was born on July 3, 1931, in Abilene, TX, to Cecil Henry Folliard and Annie Mae Ward Folliard, and peacefully left us to be with the Lord on January 11, 2016. Louise’s parents and her only sister, Mary Lucille Hodge, preceded her in death. She is survived by her children Dick Dillingham, Jr. (wife Judy), Scott Dillingham (wife Deborah) and Leigh Ann Wood (husband Randy). Additionally, her grandchildren Jenifer Dillingham, Rebecca Howe (husband Allan), Meredith Doherty (husband Sean), Hayley Wood (fiancé Tom Theall) and Ben Wood. Young Thomas Howe had a special place in her heart being her only great grandchild, so she cherished spending time with him or even just seeing new pictures of him. As though they were family, Louise loved owning and raising dogs, as well as loving on any dog she was around and they loved being with her as well.

Louise attended McMurray University in Abilene and Texas Women’s University in Denton, but married Richard F. Dillingham in 1949 before graduation. Louise was always very family oriented, and loved traveling with her family or while working trade shows for a high-end wholesaler. She enjoyed sharing and preparing her favorite cooking recipes with her children and grandchildren. Her close and highly-valued friends knew she was a strong, independent woman with a dry, but enjoyable sense of humor…and always willing to share her viewpoint. Louise was a voracious reader, along with being a life-long Rangers and Cowboys fan, but her other interests over the years included knitting, card games, and jigsaw puzzles.

Always recognized as a hard worker and never wanting to miss a day at work, Louise’s professional career was focused in retail and spanned more than 25 years. The majority of her career was spent with Neiman Marcus, Saks Fifth Avenue, and Dillard’s, before finally retiring.

The family would like to express special thanks to the wonderful, loving caregivers and friends at Fountain View of Highland Springs Senior Community. In lieu of flowers the family requests donations in her memory to Operation Kindness, 3201 Earhart Dr, Carrollton, TX 75006 (www.operationkindness.org) or your favorite charity.

The entire family was thankful to be a part of her life and to have her a part of our lives. A remembrance to honor the life of Louise Dillingham will be held at 11:00 a.m. on Saturday, January 16, 2015, at the Ted Dickey West Funeral Home. The location is 7990 George Bush Turnpike, Dallas TX 75252 (972-407-6070)