Cynthia Diane Lowry

Cynthia Diane Lowry was born June 18, 1938 to Fairy Coleman Williams and Ina Earlyne (McDonald) Williams in the small town of Santa Anna, Texas. She had one older sister, Mary Frances. Diane (“Dee Ann”) was always active in school and was quite the musician. She played clarinet in the band and her high school jacket was completely covered with medals. She also enjoyed playing the piano for friends and family. She was Class Salutatorian and “Miss SAHS” at Santa Anna High School in 1956. She married Billy Wayne Lowry, son of William Burr Lowry and Thelma Eppie (Lowe) Lowry. Billy was also Class Salutatorian and “Mr. SAHS” in 1955. The two high school sweethearts were married at the Church of Christ on January 26, 1957 in their hometown of Santa Anna, Texas.

After graduating high school, she attended Draughon’s Business School in Abilene and also took a few classes at Howard Payne University in Brownwood (with a 4.0 grade average).

Their first daughter, Sheryl, was born in 1958, and Diane spent the next several years as a stay-at-home mom while Billy worked full time and attended ACU full time to get his degree in Chemistry. By the time he graduated from college, one more daughter, Donna, had arrived in 1961. They went on to later expand their family when Stanley was born in 1977. All three children grew up primarily in Plano, Texas, where they moved in 1967.

The family lived a typical, suburban life and while the children were young, Diane was a full-time housewife and mom. She later worked outside the home, first part-time, then full-time and she worked at Plano Lumber Company for many years as a bookkeeper.

After they both retired, Diane and Billy enjoyed gardening, visiting with family and friends and occasionally taking a trip across the border into Oklahoma to visit one of the Indian owned casinos for a quick getaway.

They were married for 67 years until she passed on August 12, 2024.

Diane is preceded in death by her parents, Fairy Coleman Williams and Ina Earlyne (McDonald) Williams and her sister, Mary Frances Newman. She is survived by her husband, Billy Wayne, their children Sheryl Galvan (and Carlos), Donna Cross (and Kenneth) and Stanley Wayne and their grandchildren Rachael Cross, Emily (Cross) Cassimatis (and Alex), Dylan Lowry and Chase Lowry. She is also survived by one brother and sister-in-law, several nephews, one niece and many cousins, some of whom still live in or near Santa Anna.

Diane was always a positive person in life with a beautiful soul and we will all miss her dearly!