Muriel Allgood Lyke

24, after several years of declining health. She was a beloved mother, sister, and aunt, a respected and

talented musician, and a devout Christian. She loved the Lord, her family, and her country, church, and

community.

Muriel was born on March 15, 1932 to Lucian and Billie Busbee Allgood in Birmingham, AL. She attended

Birmingham public schools, often moving from one to another, as her father, a Birmingham realtor, bought

and sold their family residences. After graduating from Woodlawn High School in 1949, she studied a year at Asbury College, then transferred to Howard College for a year, and finally to Peabody College of Vanderbilt University to complete her bachelor’s degree in music education.

In 1954, she married Thomas Weatherall, and gave birth to her first son, Edward. She continued to teach wherever they lived, including Alaska, when Thomas was stationed there in the Army. On base she was

involved in musical events and performances, and did some teaching as well.

Years later, after her marriage to James Lyke, also a music educator, she had her second son, Kevin,

then went on to complete a master’s degree in music education at the University of Illinois, Champaign/Urbana campus.

After graduation, she began her first job as a teacher at Carrie Busey Elementary School in Savoy,

IL, later teaching music history and adult beginning piano for nearly 25 years at Parkland Community

College in Champaign, IL. During these years, the family spent summers at their mountain home in

Colorado, where she continued her studies at the University of Colorado-Boulder, completing her Ed.S. degree in music education in 1966.

After retiring from Parkland in 1992, she moved back to Birmingham and continued to teach piano

privately, making good use of the heirloom grand piano that had been the centerpiece of the Allgood home while she was growing up. She found a church home at Briarwood Presbyterian PCA and especially enjoyed the gatherings of her Sunday School class there.

Muriel continued to pursue the interests she enjoyed all her life: gardening, exercise, painting (oils,

pastels, and china), singing, and square dancing. She had daily chats with her lifetime best friend and fellow musician Elise Brackman, who recently observed: “Muriel and I may be close to holding the record for the longest friendship ever. Ours lasted over 91 years. I will miss her but know she’s in a glorious place.”

Animals of every sort also brought Muriel joy, but she had a lifelong love for dogs. Collies, Dachshunds,

and other breeds found their way to the Lyke residence and travelled with them wherever they went.

Especially beloved was the Lab-mix pup, Casey, that her brother Steve gave her after she moved to

Birmingham. She was a loving pet and constant companion to Muriel indoors and out. She especially

enjoyed napping under the piano when Muriel played and was rewarded with treats and special vitamin

concoctions. Sometimes she even sang!

Son Kevin remembers his mom as “aggravatingly and adorably stubborn, but one of the most gregarious

and outgoing people I have ever known. It was impossible to feel awkward or uncomfortable in her presence. She systematically taught me everything I needed to know to function as an adult: basic cooking skills, basic sewing, how to effectively deal with difficult people, safe driving, insistent that I learn to swim, and the basics of being a good person—honesty, responsibility, truthfulness, kindness, humility, and much more. And she lived those traits before me all my life, for which I am truly grateful.”

Muriel is survived by her brother, Stephen Craig Allgood (Myralyn); her two sons, Edward Weatherall

and Kevin Lyke; three grandchildren: Lauren, Tom, and Stephanie Weatherall; her Busbee cousins: Ann B. Lee, Carol Jackson Powell, and Robert Jackson; four grand-nephews: Stephen, Patrick (Brooke), Luke, and Will Shaw; great-grand niece, Ava Rose Shaw; and her beloved niece, Allison Allgood Shaw (Jack), who worked selflessly to see her through her final years.

The family would like to thank the caring staff of Briar Glen, St. Martin’s-in-the-Pines, as well as Compassus Hospice, for their kind attention to our Muriel’s every need. We would also like to thank the Briarwood ladies who brought her flowers every Monday, and to the many friends who faithfully called and visited on a regular basis.

A memorial service will be held in the chapel of Briarwood Presbyterian Church at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, August 5th, for all who would like to join together to celebrate Muriel’s life.

In lieu of flowers, we suggest a contribution to the Music Ministry at Briarwood Presbyterian Church.

Muriel’s Life Verse:

That is what the Scriptures mean when they say, 'No eye has seen, no ear has heard, and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him.' 1 Corinthians 2:9 NIL

Here on earth her legacy will live on in the hearts and minds of her family, friends, and many students.