Bobbie Lee Hicks Nash

Bobbie Lee Hicks Nash passed away peacefully surrounded by family on December 30, 2013 in Austin, Texas, at age 86 years. Beloved and devoted wife of Elon C. Nash of 66 years and loving mother of James, David, and Donald. She also leaves behind grandchildren Joshua, Lenna, Julia, Evelyn, Andrea, Benjamin, and Zachary, and great-grandchildren Carter, Hayden, and Nicolette.

Bobbie Lee Hicks was born August 15, 1927, in Lexington, Mississippi to John and Cleora Hicks. She grew up in the small community of Durant. Early memories included Sunday drives with her father and friends that always ended with a cold drink at the corner grocery and summers filled reading books. Sadly at 7 years, her father passed away suddenly of pneumonia. Bobbie moved with her mother to live with her uncle, Jack Ezelle. She grew to love Jack as both a brother and a father.

Bobbie met Elon during her senior year of high school and he proposed to her after graduation. Married the following March, they initially moved to Mobile, Alabama, where Elon was stationed in the Air Force, and then to Hawaii three months later. As a military wife, Bobbie lived in numerous cities in the U.S., as well in Germany from 1959 to 1962. After Elon retired in 1965, the family moved to Austin. Bobbie often mused, “I never once thought that I would see all those places.”

Bobbie loved being a mother and nurturing her family. She was proud to be a homemaker, keeping a strict routine of household duties. Though never employed outside the home, she earned mad money hemming pants for incoming ROTC students and enjoyed volunteer work in the ladies auxiliary at South Austin Hospital.

Family was important to Bobbie. She was so proud of her three successful sons. She also had a love of animals, particularly dachshunds and parakeets, even raising a mockingbird that fell from its nest. That said, she feared bugs and reptiles, once screaming from atop her bed for her sons to capture numerous lizards that had invaded her bedroom after wintering in the room’s AC unit.

Above all, Bobbie loved the Lord. Her relationship with Christ began in earnest after promising her life to Him, if He would help her stop smoking. Bobbie became a devoted member of the South Austin Church of the Nazarene. She served on the Church board for many years, taught Sunday School, was a long-time greeter, and was instrumental in its relocation to Manchaca Rd, even working along side her mother to put up sheet rock during its construction.

In her later years, Bobbie enjoyed traveling. Taking advantage of military transport and housing, she and Elon took two wonderful trips to the Pacific Northwest. Fueling a love of gospel music, they made several trips with their close friends to Dollywood. It was on one of these trips that Bobbie suffered a debilitating stroke.

Over the next fourteen years, Bobbie continued to be active, with loving support from Elon. Bobbie touched many lives. Truly, what you leave behind is not what is engraved in stone monuments, but what is woven into the lives of others. She will be dearly missed, but always in our hearts.