Marjorie Ruth Gipe Willis passed away peacefully on Sunday, February 17, 2013 at the age of 90. She was the only child born to Charles and Ruth Alexander Gipe on April 19th 1922 in Moody, Texas. She attended Texas A&I University (now Texas A&M Kingsville) earning a degree in Business Administration and Education. She worked for the Bureau of Labor and Statistics before marrying. Marge married Major W.B. “Dub” Willis USAF on April 23, 1944 in Austin at the home of Chief Justice of the Texas Supreme Court, James P. Alexander, her uncle. This began a 30 year journey in military life supporting W.B. in his career as a Colonel in the United States Air Force. They lived in 8 different places in the U.S. (Texas, Florida, New York, Washington D.C., California, Oklahoma, Illinois and New Jersey) and internationally in Japan and Morocco. Marge was active at each Air Force base in the Officer’s Wives Club and often taught school on base as well. After retirement in Austin, Texas, Marge became active in the Austin Women’s Club, the Assistance League of Austin, the Armed Forces Wives Club, the Women’s Symphony League of Austin, the Optimist Garden Club and Andrew Carothers’ DAR. She has also been a long time member of Covenant Presbyterian Church.
Throughout her 90 years, Marge has been an avid reader, played Bridge weekly, played and loved watching golf, and worked on her computer. Although traveling the United States and the world during her married life, her favorite was a trip at the age of 86, to China to visit her son Steve and his wife Patty where she saw the Terracotta Warriors in Xian, the Forbidden City and many other sites in Beijing as well as walking on the Great Wall!
She is preceded in death by her beloved husband of 56 years. She leaves one son, Steve R. Willis who has been working overseas in Israel and China, daughter-in-law, Patty Willis and two grandchildren – Megan Willis in Houston and Brett Willis in Oklahoma and cousins, Shirley Thedford in Forth Worth and Paula Alexander in Moody.
The family expresses their gratitude to the staff and many friends at Longhorn Village who have made the last three and a half years so special; especially the kindness of Barbara Petrosino, Marlene Weitzel, Phyllis Martin, and Mary Juan Harris. Special thanks also to Jamie Thompson, who was always there when Marge needed her.
Friends are cordially invited to a visitation with the family from six o’clock until eight o’clock in the evening, on Monday, the 25thth of February 2013, at Cook-Walden Funeral Home, 6100 North Lamar Boulevard, Austin, Texas.
Funeral services will be conducted at 3 o’clock in the afternoon on Tuesday the 26th of February 2013 at Covenant Presbyterian Church, 3003 Northland Drive Austin TX, and internment at Ft. Sam Houston Cemetery on Wednesday, February 27th at 9:30am.
In lieu of flowers and the customary remembrances, memorials may be sent to Alzheimer’s Association, 3429 Executive Center Drive, Suite 100, Austin, Texas 78731 or the American Cancer Society, 2433 Ridgepoint Drive, Suite B, Austin, Texas, 78754
Condolences may be sent to www.cookwaldenfuneralhome.com
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