Annette Smith Lucksinger

A celebration-of-life service will be held at First United Methodist Church of Killeen in Killeen, Texas, at a date to be determined.

Annette was born on October 29, 1935, in Austin, Texas, to the late Mr. and Mrs. Haston C. Smith. The Smith family lived in several Texas cities during Annette’s childhood, including Wichita Falls, Brady, Seguin, Houston, and Austin. She was a graduate of Austin High School and attended the University of Texas in Austin where, after three years in school, she received a Bachelor of Journalism degree. While at the University, Annette was very active with “The Daily Texan” (the student newspaper) and a member of Alpha Gamma Delta. Later in her life she received a Master of Arts, International Relations, from the University of Southern California.

Annette’s interests in history, teaching, and writing were of great importance to her throughout her life. During summer breaks in high school, Annette worked at the Texas General Land Office where she learned details about all 254 counties in Texas. Later, during university summer breaks, Annette worked at the “Austin-American Statesman” as a young reporter.

Annette married Henry Charles Lucksinger, Jr., of Austin in 1956 whom she met while both attended Austin High School. Over the six decades of their marriage they lived in several different cities. They lived in Houston initially while Henry completed his Doctor of Dental Surgery at the University of Texas Dental Branch in Houston and Annette taught journalism at Milby High School. They returned to Austin where Annette resumed her newspaper career with the “Austin-American Statesman.” When Henry joined the U.S. Army as a dentist, Annette set up homes in many different places: Heidelberg, Germany; San Antonio, Texas; Leesville, Louisiana; Washington, D.C.; Killeen, Texas; Mannheim, Germany; San Francisco, California; Augsburg, Germany. They returned to Killeen where they made their home for the last 48 years.

Annette made many contributions to the communities in which she lived. She taught at public schools in Louisiana and Texas, she volunteered as a tutor in San Francisco, she taught soldiers taking overseas courses at Central Texas College in Augsburg, and she was very active in the German-American Wives Clubs in Mannheim and Augsburg, often as President of the chapter. After returning to Killeen, she taught journalism and English at Ellison High School and taught government classes at Central Texas College. Annette was a skilled musician who accompanied many choirs and soloists on the piano and organ.

Annette and Henry enjoyed traveling wherever they lived. Annette made an extraordinary solo trip in 1968 to meet Henry while he was stationed in Vietnam. She traveled to Tahiti, American Samoa, Australia, and New Zealand. She met Henry in Singapore and, from there, continued her adventure through the Philippines and Japan. During three military assignments to Germany (for a total of nine years), they traveled extensively and continued to do so when they returned to Texas in the late 1970s. Whether in the United States or abroad, Annette traveled with friends or solo if Henry could not join her. One of her solo trips took her literally around the world to Japan, China, India, and Egypt before returning to Texas. She traveled the entire Lewis & Clark Trail over the course of ten years and explored almost every county in Texas, the names of which she had memorized during her high school summers. She once said that her favorite biennial publication was “Texas Almanac” and enjoyed excursions all around the state to see historical and cultural sites. Annette kept countless detailed journals of her travels to share with her family.

Annette’s interest in history was behind the decision she and Henry made, with friends, to found the Killeen Area Heritage Association in 1983. She devoted many years to the organization to encourage local citizens to appreciate the history of central Texas and Killeen’s part in that history. During that time, Annette co-wrote “Killeen” as part of Arcadia Publishing’s Images of America series with retired newspaperman Gerald D. Skidmore.

Annette is survived by her husband, Henry Charles Lucksinger, Jr., her daughter, Laurie Parkhill (husband, Kelly), and her son, Henry Clay Lucksinger. She was preceded in death by her sister, Patsy Smith Davis.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorial donations be made to the Bell County Museum (www.bellcountymuseum.org).