Jeanette (Jeanie) Louise Colby passed away on Friday, April 13, 2018, surrounded by family at Aime Hospice Care. She defied all odds of her early childhood, having been born with a heart condition that doctors suspected she could not survive beyond 5 months of age. Jeanie was 81 years old.
Born on August 30, 1936, in Queens Village, New York to James and Grace (Dowling) Stiles, Jeanie had four siblings: James Harvey Stiles, Jr., Doris Stiles-Stillwell, Elaine Stiles-Morris, and Shirley Stiles. In her senior year of high school, she hopped a train chasing after the love of her life, Albert W. Colby, Jr., who had been stationed in Florida. The two eloped on December 20, 1953, in Fort Walton Beach, Florida and were married 64 years. Jeanie traveled the world as a proud and loving Air Force wife and raised their four children during the year Al was deployed in Vietnam.
Jeanie was an avid reader throughout her life, a pastime she shared with her husband that required monthly stockpiles of new books. She was a Legacy Life Gold Circle Member of the VFW Ladies Auxiliary. Regardless of whether you were family, she insisted on being called “Grandma,” and was best known for helping anyone in need, always providing wisdom and support for the ones she loved.
Grandma is survived by Al,her beloved husband of 64 years; her children Albert III and Beverly Colby, Cathy and Louis Cazares, Julie Ann and Jeffrey Vose; 8 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren. She is greeted in Heaven by her son, Steven, the family dog, Tissy, and the rest of her family.
The Colby family would like to give special thanks to the staff at Aime Hospice Care; Charlotte and Stephanie from St. Joseph’s Hospice; and Chad Johnston, Don Roberts, Lisa Carrington and Albertha McHenry for helping her whenever possible and becoming beloved members of our family.
Funeral services will be held Saturday, April 21 at 3 p.m. at Hill Crest Memorial Funeral Home. Pastor Calvin Hubbard will serve as officiant. The family will welcome friends to a visitation from 2 p.m. until service time.
Christopher McCasland, Matthew Colby, Jeff Vose, Ernest Elizondo, Chad Johnston and Doug Sullivant will serve as pallbearers for Saturdays service. Serving as honorary pallbearers are Brennen Vose and Jacob Baxter.
In lieu of flowers, memorial donations can be made to the Westie Rescue of North Texas (www.wrnt.org), a non-profit West Highland Terrier rescue organization that Jeanie was proud to support.
