Tommie Rexora (McCormick) Towne, who was lovingly known to all who knew and loved her as "Rexie", celebrated her entrance to heaven on April 27, 2026. She was born to Charles and Georgia McCormick on March 8, 1945, in Rosenburg, Texas. Her father was a rice farmer during World War II, growing Rexora rice. When Rexie was born she was named after the very hardy rice, as she was a fighter from her premature birth, weighing in 6 weeks early at 3lb 4oz. As a child, her family moved to Temple, Texas where she grew up.
Rexie was a very gifted artist. She could sketch and would spend hours drawing pictures of animals, her favorite subjects. She took great pride in drawing all of her Christmas cards. She painted throughout her life and dabbled in mixed media. She also did ceramics and taught classes at the VA in Waco, as a form of therapy for returning Vietnam veterans. It was through one of these classes that she met her husband, Theodore “Ted” Towne, who she married on July 2, 1976. They made their home in Harker Heights, Texas.
Rexie was also a natural born musician. She never took a lesson but could play any song on the piano or organ after hearing it once. She was a lifelong member of St. Paul United Methodist Church and was the organist for the church for many years.
Rexie loved the outdoors. Fishing and gardening were her and Ted’s favorite pastimes. They painstakingly landscaped their yard when they were able and took great pride in showing it off. They both also dearly loved their dogs. Beginning with toy poodles Hershey and Louie, they bred and sold their puppies for years. She always referred to them as her “fur babies” and treated them with much care and devotion.
Rexie is preceded in death by her parents, her husband, her two children, Rexie Leann Stukes and Lonnie Douglas Stukes, her brother, Lamar McCormick, her sister-in-law, Jimmie Nell McCormick, and her niece, Temple Masters.
She is survived by her sister-in-law, Karen McCormick; her niece, Jonna Evans (Brent) and their children; her nephew, Cove McCormick (Casi) and their children; and Temple’s children. She is also survived by her dear friends and caregivers, Gary Davidson and Kristie Leslie, who have been closer than family these past few years, taking Rexie in, giving her a home, nursing her, and patiently tending to her every need.
Visitation will be held at Scanio-Harper Funeral Home in Temple, TX on Saturday, May 23, 2026, at 4:00 PM with a memorial service to follow at 5:00 PM. Rexie’s remains will be interred at Bellwood Memorial Park alongside her husband, children and parents.
