Mary Geneva Trammell

Mary Geneva “Neva” (Redwine) Trammell passed away at the age of 91 on Friday, January 12th, 2024, at Grace Residential Care Home in Spring, Texas. Funeral services will be held from 2:00-3:00pm on Friday, January 26th, 2024, at Laurel Land Funeral Home in Dallas, Texas. Visitation will be held prior to the service from 1:00-2:00pm. Interment at Laurel Land Memorial Park will be held immediately following the service.

Geneva was born on October 3rd, 1932, in Slidell, Texas to Lorene (Doyle) Redwine and Robert Lafayette Redwine. Geneva’s early years occurred during the Great Depression, and the family moved frequently, following her father’s road construction job around North Texas. They eventually settled in the Oak Cliff area of Dallas. She attended Adamson High School, where she was an outstanding student. She graduated at age 16 and earned a full scholarship to play French Horn at Southern Methodist University. At SMU, she played in the orchestra and marching band, and she earned a bachelor’s degree with a double-major in Music and Mathematics. Upon graduation from SMU, she started teaching math at Ennis High School. Having started college early, she was not much older than the senior students who were in her classes. While teaching at Ennis, she earned a master’s degree at East Texas State Teacher’s College.

In 1960, Geneva married W K Trammell, and they moved to their life-long home in a then-rural area south of Grand Prairie, Texas. In 1964, their son Eric was born. They continued their careers as teachers, and W K found his calling as a guidance counselor at Hutcheson Junior High in Arlington, Texas, where he worked until retirement. Geneva had a true passion for teaching and education. She taught math at schools including Grand Prairie High School, University of Texas at Arlington, Tarrant County Junior College, and Bowie and Martin High Schools in Arlington. Geneva, or “Neva” as she liked to be called later in life, had a gift for inspiring students, and she succeeded in helping students who thought that they could never learn math. For years, she received cards and phone calls from generations of adoring students who credited her with their success in school and subsequent careers. As a mother, she made a point to instill a strong study ethic in her son and to provide him with the opportunity for a good education. After retiring from a long teaching career, Neva continued her passion for education by volunteering at the United Educators Association, where she helped support classroom teachers.

Throughout her life, Neva maintained her love of music. She frequented concerts by the Fort Worth and Dallas symphonies, barbershop quartet shows, and presentations by her sister-in-law’s senior tap-dancing group, Class Act Tap Company. She played piano at home, sang in the choir at Trailwood United Methodist Church in Grand Prairie, and sang in a local trio. Following the death of W K, her husband of 36 years, in 1996, Neva began to travel with friends. She visited many National Parks and tourist destinations around the United States. She took trips to Europe and the Caribbean, and she made a number of trips to visit her son who was living and working in Brazil. At home, Neva had a large circle of friends with which she remained close. She organized and participated in a wide variety of activities. She would always drive her car to provide transportation for any friends who were unable to drive. Neva grew up with a fear of water because she could not swim, but she overcame that fear to participate in various boating, rafting and snorkeling adventures. Courageously, she took lessons as an adult and eventually learned to swim. Neva loved animals and children. She especially loved dogs and never tired of telling stories about her childhood rat terrier, Skeezie. Neva was a dedicated wife and a loving mother and grandmother who delighted in visits from her grandchildren.

Neva was preceded in death by her parents and her husband; by her brother, Edward William Redwine; and by her uncles, Willmon Edward “Buster” Doyle and William Vincent “Mutt” Doyle. She is survived by her son, Eric Wilbur Trammell of Spring, TX; daughter-in-law, Tays Oliveira Trammell; grandchildren, William Fonseca Trammell, Emily Fonseca Trammell, and Anna Oliveira Trammell; and sister-in-law, Mary Sue Thornton Redwine who lives in Dallas, TX.