Lecy Yvonne McCormick

Yvonne was born on March 5, 1938, in Hale Center, Texas, to Edwin and Annie Shackelford and grew up in Cotton Center, Texas, alongside her two sisters and one brother. She came from a hardworking family of cotton farmers, and from an early age, Yvonne was no stranger to hard work. One of her childhood jobs was bringing all the cows in every evening—a fitting beginning for a woman who would grow up to be as independent, determined, and full of personality as she was.

Yvonne met the love of her life, Will McCormick, at the Hi-D-Ho on a Friday night. Three months later, on November 3, 1957, they were married. Their marriage was a beautiful partnership that lasted 55 years, until Will preceded her in death in November 2012.

Yvonne was a natural leader and a force to be reckoned with. At Cotton Center High School, she was class president and captain of both the basketball and cheerleading teams. Her outgoing personality and ability to make friends wherever she went remained with her throughout her entire life.

She later became a successful businesswoman, opening The Perfect Ten, the first nail salon in Lubbock, Texas, located in the Pyramid Building. Yvonne had a gift for making people feel welcome, and her business became another place where her personality and love for people could shine.

Faith was at the center of Yvonne’s life. After the death of her father when she was 29 years old, she began studying the Bible with Jehovah’s Witnesses and was baptized in 1972. Her faith was not simply something she practiced—it was something she lived. She loved sharing what she learned from the Bible with others and never hesitated to talk about the things that were important to her.

Yvonne never knew a stranger. She could strike up a conversation with just about anyone, and somehow, before long, they felt like they had known her forever. She had a wonderful sense of humor, an unmistakable positivity, and just enough feistiness to keep everyone on their toes.

For the last nine years of her life, Yvonne lived at The Garrison Care Center. Even there, she continued to make an impact on the people around her, sharing her faith and teaching the Bible to many who lived and worked there. After her passing, many of the nurses and aides at Garrison shared their fondness for Yvonne—a testament to the lasting impression she made wherever she went.

Yvonne’s greatest joy, however, was her family. She is survived by her two daughters, Shelley Boyce, married to Ricky Boyce, and Shaunna Gregory, married to Bruce Gregory; her grandchildren, Ashley Hartline, married to Toby Hartline; Amber Stravlo, married to Brandt Stravlo; Tory Boyce, married to Shelley Boyce; Taylor Gregory, married to Caylee Gregory; Kyle Gregory, married to Anastasia Gregory; and her nine great-grandchildren, Haley Hartline, Hope Hartline, Beau Stravlo, Autumn Stravlo, Baylor Stravlo, Meadow Boyce, Violet Boyce, Mady Gregory, and Lainey Gregory.

Her family, her faith, and the love she poured into her children, grandchildren, and great-grandchildren are the legacy she leaves behind.

Yvonne lived her life with conviction, laughter, determination, and an open heart. She loved deeply, laughed often, talked to everyone, and was never afraid to be a little ornery. Her presence brought light and laughter into the lives of so many, and although she will be deeply missed, the memories she created will continue to live on in the hearts of all who knew and loved her.

“I keep Jehovah before me constantly. Because he is at my right hand, I will never be shaken.”

— Psalms 16:8