Lynn Arlene Roucloux

Lynn Arlene Roucloux (Bowersock), age 91, a longtime Austin resident passed away surrounded by her family on July 17, 2022, after a long struggle with Parkinson’s Disease. She was born on August 4, 1930, at her grandparents’ farm in Beloit, Ohio to Hazel (Cameron) and Burton Bowersock.

Lynn grew up in Damascus, Ohio where she was a 1948 graduate of Goshen Township High School. After graduation, Lynn enrolled in the Nurses Training Program at Salem City Hospital and in 1951 she became a Registered Nurse. Lynn worked at Crile VA hospital in Parma, Ohio prior to being commissioned as a Second Lieutenant in the US Navy Nurse Corps in 1954. It was while she was stationed at the Naval Hospital at Great Lakes, Illinois that she was introduced to her future husband, Fred Roucloux. After a whirlwind courtship, Lynn and Fred were married at the Friends Church in Damascus, Ohio on October 15, 1955. After their discharge from the Navy in 1956 they relocated to Fred’s hometown of San Antonio, Texas and in 1958 to Austin, as Fred completed his education at UT. The family lived in Mesquite for eight years before settling in Austin in 1967.

The greatest joy in Lynn’s life was her large family. Between 1956 and 1968 the Roucloux family grew to include six children. Every holiday or birthday were cause for celebration! No detail was overlooked when it came to cleaning, decorating, baking, and cooking. She was known for her delectable turkey and dressing dinners for Thanksgiving and Christmas. She especially enjoyed the Christmas season, and in her last months, she regularly discussed preparations for her favorite holiday. Lynn never let a birthday, wedding, or graduation go uncelebrated. She made sure every family member, from grandchildren to in-laws, knew she loved and cared for them whether through a card, a phone call, or a homecooked meal. Lynn was a thoughtful, caring person and her family was her top priority!

When their children got older Lynn and Fred had many opportunities to travel. Trips to Colonial Williamsburg, New England, Washington DC, and a tour of the South were among their favorites. For many years, they made an annual October pilgrimage to Lynn’s home state of Ohio to delight in the fall weather, visit family and friends, and collect early American antiques.

In addition to raising six children, Lynn continued to work part time as an RN. She was on the staff at St. David’s Medical Center for almost 25 years. Lynn was a dedicated member of Tarrytown Baptist Church where she taught Sunday School, Vacation Bible School, and served on the pre-school committee. She was especially committed to the Love Class made up of senior women and she and Fred were regulars for Wednesday night Bible study. In recent years Lynn was an active participant in Power for Parkinson’s where she took part in fitness and singing classes and formed community with others living with Parkinson's Disease.

Lynn enjoyed reading Fred the horoscope page from the newspaper each morning over coffee. She spent many happy hours playing Scrabble, assembling jigsaw puzzles, watching Jeopardy and The Big Bang Theory, swinging on the porch swing, and snacking on bite-sized candy (although she denied having a sweet tooth). Lynn was proud to be born in the Buckeye state, still she came to appreciate much about the Lone Star state. Lynn baked a truly delicious Texas Chocolate Sheet Cake, body surfed with grandkids on Gulf of Mexico beaches, at the age of 80 swung off a rope into the frosty water of the Blue Hole in Wimberly and enjoyed many plates of crispy tacos at Matt’s El Rancho.

Lynn is survived by her devoted husband of 66 years, Fred Roucloux, her brother, Larry (Mary) Bowersock, her half brother, Dale Bowersock, her six children, Betsy (Mike) Murphy, Daniel (Sandy) Roucloux, Rebecca Avery, Catherine (Chris) Eckhoff, Sara Roucloux – Krudop (Walter Krudop), Brooke (Jim) Andrews, 15 grandchildren, 6 great-grandchildren, and a host of nieces and nephews in her home state of Ohio. Lynn was preceded in death by her parents, Hazel Bowersock and Burton Bowersock, her brother and sister-in-law, Dr. Wesley and Dorothy Bowersock, and her grandson, Cason Eckhoff.

Visitation will be held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m. on Friday, July 22, 2022 at Cook-Walden/Capital Parks Funeral Home in Pflugerville. The funeral service will be held 10:00 a.m., Saturday, July 23, 2022 at The Sanctuary Church, 2614 Exposition Blvd., Austin.

Special thanks to Dr. David Morledge and the staff at Austin Neurological Clinic as well as the staff at Tech Ridge Oaks Assisted Living, especially Faith Gumbs, Tarnetha Griffin, Kailee Mayo, and Antionette Mc Marion.

Memorial contributions may be sent to Power for Parkinson’s. 5555 N. Lamar Suite L121

Austin, TX 78751, U.S.A. (https://www.powerforparkinsons.org/donate)