Lee Marva Lou Lacy

Romans 8:18 (NLT)

Today we honor the life and legacy of Lee Marva Lou (Armstrong) Lacy, who has completed her life’s journey, in this earthly realm, at the young age of 81 years old, April 26, 2024. Born in Longview, Texas to Louis Armstrong, II and Grace (Davis) Armstrong on December 28, 1942, she was Third in Command amongst her five siblings: Gloria (1st), Marchusa (2nd), Lolita (4th), Louis, III (5th), and Xocia (6th). Survived by her husband Troy Lacy of 58 years, and their children, Corwyn, Aimee, and Gardenia, coupled with three beautiful grandchildren, Radiance, Hailee, and Hayden, and two son-in-laws, Uzoma and Marcus. Lee Marva lived a life full of love, faith, family, and friendship.

Her journey began as a primary attendee of Southside Elementary in Longview, where she matriculated her way up, until she graduated from Mary C. Womack High School in 1961. With goals and aspirations to excel, of which manifested from the educational values and expectations set forth by her parents, Lee Marva pursued her higher education and attended Prairie View A & M University where she earned a B.S. Degree in Math with a minor in Chemistry in 1965.

Lee Marva’s love for learning catapulted into a career in secondary education where she taught math in Texas, Nebraska and Maryland, before settling down in Tempe, AZ in 1970. She worked for the Roosevelt School District for 15 years and during that time, attained her M.A. Degree in Secondary Math from Arizona State University in 1978. Throughout her career, Lee Marva has taught math at multiple levels, from junior high to the collegiate ranks. In 1987, she became a math professor in the Maricopa Community College District, teaching at South Mountain and Glendale Community Colleges and served as math adjunct faculty at Arizona State University. Lee Marva retired from Glendale in 2007, but continued to teach as adjunct faculty until 2014.

Math wasn’t the only thing she loved. While in 8th grade, Lee Marva met a young man by the name of Troy Lacy on the bus ride home from a band trip to Grambling College (a.k.a. Grambling State University), where a debate ensued on the school bus about whether a violin was really called a “baby fiddle.” Troy called it a baby fiddle; and Lee Marva, conversely, said it was called a violin. Needless to say, the outcome of their indifference is undetermined; however, this wouldn’t be the last time their paths intertwined. In high school (1959), during Ms. Everhart’s home economics class, Troy (a Senior), Lee Marva (a Junior), and their peers were given a cooking assignment which involved chopping onions. Troy observed how much time it was taking Lee Marva to cut up an onion, although her technique was precise and good, he decided that he needed to show her “how it should be done” and elicited her attention to show his prowess with a knife. Well, she was apparently smitten by his skill with the steel, for soon after, they started courting. This courtship inevitably led to marriage on June 20, 1965.

Over the course of her life, Lee Marva was very devoted to her church and community. As an active member of First Institutional Baptist Church, she sang in the choir, taught Sunday school, served on the Board of Trustees, and most recently, became a Deacon. She was also a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc. where she was initiated on April 23, 1980 into the Tempe Alumnae Chapter and in 1998, transferred to the Phoenix Metropolitan Alumnae Chapter. During her 44 years of unwavering dedication as a Delta, she served on various committees, was elected as the Recording and Financial Secretary for two (2) terms and participated on numerous projects across the organization. Most noteworthy of her roles, Lee Marva used these platforms to highlight the importance of education to support students and encourage them to focus on higher learning across their community. Within her work as a Delta, she loved to attend the National Conventions and Farwest Regional Conferences where she LOVED to sing in their choirs! Lee Marva loved having the opportunity to be charitable and be of service to others; roles she found intrinsically and spiritually rewarding and truly exemplify who she was at her core.

Not only was Lee Marva musically inclined to sing, but she also exercised her talents in learning to play the clarinet. Her interest in the clarinet emerged when she was in the 8th grade; and her abilities to play it well flourished up through high school. While in undergraduate school she took a hiatus from it; however, she resumed her craft while attending graduate school at Arizona State University. During her time there, she joined the ASU Sun Devil Marching Band, and after graduating, she played in the “Play It Again Band” and marched in several Fiesta Bowl Parades in the mid-90s.

Anyone who knew Lee Marva, knew how much she loved to bake and cook! She had a natural talent in the kitchen, and she has fed thousands of people in her lifetime.

Some of her most popular epicurean dishes and desserts her family and friends raved about were her banana pudding, buttermilk biscuits, German chocolate cake, various cheesecakes, rum fruit bowl, macaroni and cheese, okra gumbo, carrot cake, and a spectacular leg of lamb recipe. A culinary connoisseur in her own right, she loved to cook and entertain her family, host church bake sales, make wedding cakes, cook for Delta events, all while lovingly and intentionally creating edible masterpieces to feed the community and friends no matter how big or small the gathering, nor the time of year.

In addition to being a wonderful wife and mother, a homemaker, an active member of her church and community leader, a Delta, a cook and baker, and anything else in between, Lee Marva LOVED being a grandmother! The last 13 years of her life involved her role as “G-Mom” or “GiGi.” In 2010, she first became a grandparent to her granddaughter, Radiance. A few years later, Hailee was born in 2014; and then last, but not least in 2018, there came along Hayden. She absolutely loved talking about her granddaughters and words can’t describe how elated Lee Marva was and how much joy her grandchildren brought her. Adorned with hand-crafted artwork, personalized gifts, pictures of their development, hours of loving conversations on FaceTime, school accolades, honors, and performances, and most importantly, the time spent together, clearly delineated how grateful and thankful she was to God for bestowing these blessings on her.

As we celebrate Lee Marva Lou Lacy’s life and legacy, we would be remiss if we did not emphasize her faith and love for God. She was a devout Christian woman who went to and worked in the church with fidelity, tithed, believed in prayer, sang praises to the Lord, and was joyful to His unchanging hand. Her strong faith in God and ministry to be of service to others, was impeccable. She lived a very blessed and fruitful life, which nobody can deny. As we recognize and honor her presence in front of Jesus Christ our Lord and Savior, with her father and mother, Louis and Grace, along with her sisters, Gloria and Marchusa, we must remember in our hearts and minds that her impact and legacy will continue to touch the lives of many and make an undeniable difference across our community for years to come.

We Love You.

Lee Marva Lou Lacy’s

Celebration of Life Service

Click Link below to live stream service:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ebZZRdxX5A

Friday, May 10, 2024

10:00AM, Mountain Standard Time

First Institutional Baptist Church

1141 E. Jefferson Street

Phoenix, AZ 85034