Tommy Lee Reagan Burch, 95, beloved mother, grandmother and great-grandmother was called by God, February 27, 2021, in San Antonio, Texas. She was born in San Antonio, Texas in a little house on Pine Street, with a large greenhouse in back, on March 21, 1925. As well as a fifth generation Texan, Tommy Lee was a descendent of colonial Irish ancestors, such as one Timothy Ragan (Reagan), who served in the Revolutionary War. Also, her heritage included Welsh and Scottish ancestors and German settlers of Wetmore, Texas in the late 1800s. Tommy Lee’s favorite Irishman was her maternal grandfather, Robert Patrick Murphy, who spoke with a brogue as he told her stories of his friendship with Ben Thompson, Texas lawman and gunman of the Old West, who called him “Paddy”.
Tommy Lee was preceded in death by her paternal grandparents, Thomas Henry Reagan, buried in Lawton, Oklahoma, and Mary Elizabeth Shelburne Reagan Olive, buried at Mission South Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas. Her maternal grandparents, Robert Patrick (Alvina Valentina Buchsenschutz) Murphy are buried in the historic Texas family cemetery, Atlas number 5507013797, established in 1881 and located on the original Buchsenschutz homestead. Tommy Lee’s maternal great grandfather, Georg Heinrich Buchsenschutz, a Mexican-American War veteran, came to Texas in the late 1800s, wed Friederike Christiana Schulmeier with whom he had ten children and bought more than 200 acres of farmland to homestead in the Wetmore community, now incorporated into the northside city of San Antonio. She was also preceded in death by her parents, Thomas Houston (Mary Margaret Murphy) Reagan, her husband, Bill Fagon Burch, her sons, Patrick Murphy Burch and Thomas Reagan Burch, her granddaughter, Kylee Elizabeth Bible Martin, all of San Antonio, Texas, and her son-in-law, John Bunyan Bible of Portland, Texas.
She is survived by her only daughter, Colette Reagan Burch Bible, her grandson, John-Thomas Reagan (Mary) Bible, and her great grandson, Hayden Thomas Bible, all of Portland, Texas. Her grandson-in-law, Roy Bishop Martin and her great grandchildren, Reagan Nancy Martin, and William Bishop Martin, all of San Antonio, Texas also survive her.
On May 29, 1942, Tommy Lee, at 17, graduated from Fox Tech High School, was later vetted for civil service at Fort Sam Houston’s depot during and after WWII; she was a military wife and true patriot; she dearly valued and believed in education.
Pallbearers: John-Thomas Bible, Hayden Bible, Roy Martin, Fred Bible, Rick Bible, Andrew Martin.
Visitation will be 5-7pm, Wednesday, March 10, 2021 at Sunset Funeral Home. The Funeral Service will be 3pm, Thursday, March 11, 2021 at Sunset Funeral Home Chapel. Entombment to follow at Sunset Mausoleum 3000.
