Lucy Templeton Cleaver

A Visitation will be held at 10:00 am Saturday, May 17, 2025 at First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, followed by a Memorial Service at 11:00 am.

Lucy was born April 11, 1929 in Franklin, TX to Monroe and Eunice Templeton. She graduated from Calvert High School in Calvert, TX in 1945 and attended Durham’s Business College in Austin. She married H. L. “Ox” Tidwell, Jr. on December 31, 1947 in Hearne, TX. They ran a tourist court (aka motel), and she served as Secretary of Hearne Building and Loan in Hearne.

She gave birth to her only child, Terry Cleaver Eaton, in January of 1960. In 1963, Lucy and Ox bought an insurance agency in Arlington and left their families to go to the big city. Ox died in December 1964, and Lucy continued to run the insurance agency during a time when very few women owned businesses. Along with working, Lucy was an involved mother who drove Terry and her friends to events, made sure Terry was involved in activities, and “adopted” Terry’s best friend Cindy, who continued to be part of Lucy’s life.

Lucy met Ken Cleaver through the insurance agency. They married in July 1967, and Ken joined her in the business. Lucy became very involved in the community as Arlington sought to become a tourist mecca. She was president of the Arlington Women’s Division Chamber of Commerce, and President of the Soroptimist Club of Arlington. She went back to college at Texas Wesleyan University where she earned her degree in Religion and Psychology in May 1978. Lucy was also very involved at Westminster Presbyterian Church in Arlington, serving as an elder and on many committees. Her passion for religious education led her to pursue her Masters in Religious Education from Brite Divinity, Texas Christian University in 1980.

Ken and Lucy sold their insurance agency in 1983, and moved to Tyler, where Lucy became director of Christian Education at First Presbyterian Tyler. Ken died in September 1983. Lucy’s family grew in 1986 when Terry married Jeffery Eaton, gaining an extended family who embraced Lucy as one of their own. In 1987, Lucy returned to Arlington and became director of Children’s Ministry at Ridglea Presbyterian Church in Fort Worth. She retired in 1991 to become a full-time grandmother. She considered it a privilege to help raise Sara and Jessica Eaton. Lucy wasn’t “Nana” to just Sara and Jessica, but to all of their friends.

In 1993 she joined First Presbyterian Church of Arlington, where she served as an elder, was part of the liturgy team, and helped write the curriculum for children’s education. In 1994, she received a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Association of Presbyterian Church Educators. Lucy loved to travel, going on ski trips with the church, taking trips with family and friends, and even took a cruise around the world in 2015. She continued to volunteer her time at the church well into her 90’s when COVID finally forced her retirement.

Lucy is preceded in death by her husbands H. L. “Ox” Tidwell, Jr. and Kenneth Ray Cleaver, her siblings Roy Ronald Templeton, Syble Singleton, J.C. Templeton, Chester Carl “Joe” Templeton, and Jimmie Gorder.

Lucy is survived by daughter Terry Eaton and husband Jeff of Arlington, her brother John Odell Templeton of Calvert, granddaughters Sara Eaton Weeks (Matthew) of Coppell and Jessica Eaton of Melissa, great-grandchildren Ava and Leo Weeks, niece Christine Kuehn (Jeff) of Arlington, and many other nieces, nephews and cousins.

In lieu of flowers, memorials may be given to Shriners Children’s hospitals or First Presbyterian Church of Arlington.