Cecilia Talley

Cecilia Johnson Talley , beloved mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, sister, and friend, passed gently into the loving arms of her Lord and Savior Jesus Christ on March 28, 2011. Cecilia was born in Atlanta, Georgia on October 27th, 1927. Her earliest years were spent in Atlanta and New Orleans, and she loved both cities dearly. Since 2005, she has made her home in Corpus Christi. However, most of her life was spent in Houston. Cecilia attended Lanier Junior High School and Lamar High School, and later served both schools as PTA president. She also attended the University of Texas, where she met and fell in love with a tall and dashing law student and former bomber pilot. It was a romance that blossomed for 58 years and that will now be rejoined in heaven. If there is a single word that best describes Cecilia's approach to relationships, that word would be "encourager." She saw each person as a uniquely created being, endowed by God with special gifts designed only for that person. Her favorite way of communicating was in long, beautifully handwritten letters, many of which have been saved and cherished by those who were blessed to receive them. Cecilia was preceded in death by her parents, Thomas B. Johnson and Mary Estelle Withers Johnson, and by her beloved husband of 58 years, Monroe R. Talley. She is survived by her brother, Tom Johnson; her five children, Susan Duke and husband John; Claudia Hutcheson and husband Houghton; Monroe Talley, Jr., and wife Ursula; Ralph Talley; and Clair Amonett and husband Tom; nine grandchildren; and three great-grandchildren. A celebration of Cecilia's life will be held at First Presbyterian Church of Houston, 5300 Main Street, at 12:00 Noon on Friday, April 1st, with the Rev. Dr. John Bisagno and the Rev. Dr. Bill Heston officiating. A reception for family and friends will follow at the church. For those desiring, in lieu of flowers, the family suggests a gift to honor Cecilia to the A.D. Players (www.adplayers.org), Houston Hospice (www.houstonhospice.org), or the charity of one's choice.