Shirley Jean Stice (“Kid,” Mom, Mother, Grammy), 76, passed away in the Promiseland #2 in Lubbock, Texas on Saturday, October 14, 2023 – just fourteen days short of her 77th birthday – in the presence of her loving husband, Lloyd, and her loving twin sister, Sharon.
Shirley was born at Shamrock General Hospital in Shamrock, Texas, the last of eight children, on October 28, 1946. She started school in Samnorwood, and after her father had a heart attack, she moved to attend Shamrock Elementary in Shamrock. She went to Lela for her junior high years and started her freshman year of high school in Shamrock, but at the end of the first six weeks, her family moved back to Samnorwood were she finished high school on May 24,1965.
Upon graduation, Shirley went to work at Marie Foundation Garments in McLean, Texas. During that summer, her high school sweetheart Lloyd asked her to marry him. Lloyd Stice went to West Texas State University in Canyon, Texas and completed the 1965 fall semester. With the threat of being drafted into the Army for Vietnam, Lloyd went home for Christmas break and told Shirley he was going to quit school and join the Army and he wanted to get married before he went into the Army. On February 4, 1966, Shirley and Lloyd were married in the Glen Davis Memorial Methodist Church in Dozier, Texas. They spent almost 58 years together experiencing the adventures of life, enjoying being together and raising two sons, Will and Justin.
During Shirley’s life, she enjoyed several jobs, but her favorites were working in the daycare at Pleasant Valley United Methodist Church and at the Kentucky Veteran Retirement Home Child Care.
Shirley grew up in the Panhandle area around Shamrock on Interstate 40 (Route 66), never thinking she would become the wife of an Army officer in Georgia and spend three years in the Army stationed in Oklahoma. Shirley and Lloyd then moved to Amarillo for six years, then moved to the DFW area living in the North Richland Hills area of Tarrant County for six years, then back to Amarillo.
The next nine years were some of the most eventful in Shirley’s life, especially in her spiritual life and learning to trust in the Lord. It was amazing the challenges she faced as an individual and that she and Lloyd faced together. The Lord was preparing and calling them to change their direction in life. The changes became real in February 1988 when Lloyd said yes to the Lord’s call to pastoral ministry. Lloyd went back to school to finish his undergraduate degree in preparation to go to seminary. In January 1991, the family packed up and moved to Wilmore, Kentucky for Lloyd to start at Asbury Theological Seminary on February 4, 1991, the day of Shirley and Lloyd’s 25th wedding anniversary.
After three and half years in Wilmore, Kentucky, Lloyd graduated on May 24, 1994. They received their first appointment as pastors of the First United Methodist Church in Fritch, Texas. Over the next twenty years, she and Lloyd served four more appointments, retiring June 2014 and moving to Wolfforth, Texas. Shirley was an awesome partner in every phase of the 57 – almost 58 – years of marriage. Even in the last phase as she was stuffing from dementia, Shirley was always a bright light in the darkness. She never lost the smile and laughter, and her welcoming smile will be one of the things Shirley will be best remembered for.
Shirley is survived by her husband and constant companion, Lloyd Stice of Wolfforth; son Will Stice and wife Mandy Stice of Krum, Texas; son Justin Stice and wife Jamie Stice of Lubbock, Texas; granddaughters Tatum Stice, Emery Stice, and Addy Stice of Lubbock, Texas; a step-granddaughter Hailey Golden of Denton, Texas.
She is also survived by one brother Bill Mayberry and wife Dorothy “Dot” Mayberry of Whitefield, Oklahoma; four sisters Ruth “Pug” Overcast of Claude/Washburn, Texas; LaDon Blasingame of San Angelo/Grape Creek, Texas; Pat Breeding of Shamrock, Texas; and her twin sister Sharon Pardue of San Angelo/Grape Creek, Texas; as well many nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, and great-great nieces and nephews who all loved their Aunt Shirley.
Shirley was preceded in death by her parents, William Tatum Mayberry and Laura Belle (Hinchey) Mayberry; her brother Clarence Dean William and wife Inez William; Oreta Graves; and nieces, nephews, brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law.
During her life, Shirley always wanted to make sure others were taken care of, and her family wishes to honor her memory by having a celebration of life service at 3 p.m. on November 4, 2023, at Wolfforth Methodist Church, 1010 Donald Preston Drive in Wolfforth, Texas.
The Stice family would like to thank all of their family and friends who loved Shirley the way they did. The family also thanks the doctors and nursing staff at Covenant Hospital and Covenant Palliative Care for the amazing care they gave to Shirley and to us, the family. We would also like to extend a special thanks for the amazing, God-loving, gentle care the Hospice of Lubbock team and Promiseland #2 house team gave Shirley during her final days.
In lieu of flowers, please make a donation to: Wolfforth Methodist Church, 1010 Donald Preston Drive, Wolfforth, Texas 79382; Co-Op Church, 2005 Ave. T, Lubbock, Texas 79411; or Thousand Hills Church, 8380 S. Stemmons Fwy., Hickory Creek, Texas 75065.
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