Loucinda McRoy

It was extremely hard to consolidate her life into just a few sentences for the obituary or 25-30 pictures for the funeral video. But the hardest part was going into her house and her not being there. She’s been my next door neighbor for almost 10 years. It's going to be tough to adjust; but it gives me peace in knowing that she's not in pain anymore and that her spirit is with The Lord. The night before she passed, I prayed that God would give her peace...and that He did!

My Granny (most called her “Cindy”) was sharp as a tack, mentally. My Mom would forget a name from 40 years ago, call up my Granny and in a few seconds, Granny would come up with that name. She kept me on my toes reminding me when it was garbage day or when it was time to do her pills for the week. But unfortunately, her body started wearing out. She lived independently up until the last couple of years; and even then, she just needed help with cooking, cleaning and grocery shopping. A few weeks before Christmas, she fell. She lost use of one leg and never really gained that strength back. That was really the defining moment where we began to see a decline in her condition.

She was admitted to the hospital a few days after Christmas. She suffered from a bladder 3 times the normal size, atrial fibrillation pattern, CLL (a form of Leukemia...none of us knew of this prior, including my Granny), and her sister dying. She had incredible strength to survive with all that going on at the same time. She was even looking forward to going to the Life Care Center for rehabilitation. She was eager to get back to her life, as it was. How many 95.5 year olds do you hear of taking physical therapy??? She was determined! But like many times before, her mind was younger than her body; and she just couldn’t understand why her “body just wouldn’t move.”

She was so young at heart! Her favorite vacation spot was Walt Disney World. That’s where she celebrated her 80th and 90th birthdays. Her doctor questioned if she was healthy enough to go; so what did she do, she sent him a postcard from Walt Disney World.

Granny was a lifelong member of Woodland Heights Baptist Church, where she served as Sunday School teacher and president for over 50 years. She loved her church family and enjoyed building relationships over the years with her Joy Class. She would take me to church with her before I was even 5 years old. Those are some of my earliest memories. It’s when/where I learned about Jesus. I remember visiting with her at church over the years and her insisting that I go up with her to sing in the choir...even though I “can’t carry a tune” and extremely shy. She was always inviting people to come to church or asking the family if they made it to their church on Sunday. Over the last few years, we enjoyed sharing each other’s pastor’s sermons with one another. Her favorite TV pastors were Dr. Charles Stanley and the Rev. Billy Graham. She loved to watch their sermons. She was an exemplary Christian and the following scripture depicts her life: 2 Timothy 4:7 “I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith.”

She was a devoted wife to the end. My Grandfather had Alzheimer’s and was bedridden for the last years of his life. It was a full-time, strenuous job but my Granny was determined to take care of him at home. She would set her alarm clock for every 2 hours so she could reposition my Papa (she called him “Mac”) so he wouldn’t get bed sores. “In sickness and health,” she was there for him.

She was a loving mother and grandmother. She was “the glue that held our family together.” She was always bringing us together for family dinners. She never understood the concept of “meat and three.” She always cooked a meat and like 7 vegetables! She was a great cook! I will miss those Sunday dinners!

Granny was very sentimental. She made sure to send a birthday card or Christmas card to family and friends. And if you sent her a card or gave her a gift, she kept it and displayed it for all to see. I never wanted to volunteer to dust for her, if you know what I mean. In fact, she was border-line close to being on the next episode of the “Hoarders.” She kept everything! But having lived through the Great Depression, who could blame her...

She enjoyed working in her flower garden. She loved roses! Pink roses were her favorite! And for as many years as I can remember, she had a vegetable garden in which she would cook us fresh vegetables from. She was just a workhorse! She always kept herself busy and was good at motivating those around her to get busy, too.

She was well-rounded. She not only ran her household, she also worked outside the home. She retired from JcPenney’s catalog department after many years of service. She was an incredible seamstress and made the most beautiful quilts. She made sure to give each child and grandchild a hand-made quilt. Something we will all cherish!

My Granny had a kind, gentle soul with a love for animals. It has been said that you can judge someone’s character by how they treat animals. And I do believe that! My Granny enjoyed feeding the birds and the stray cats; and she longed to feed my dog, Bailey, a biscuit every day. No wonder she wanted to stay at her house more than mine!

My Granny has a collection of decorative plates from the places she visited. And when she was unable to travel as much, the rest of the family would always remember to get her a plate from wherever they visited so she could add to her collection. What a neat collection...from El Salvador to Hawaii!

My Granny was a blessing to so many! I am grateful to have had her in my life as long as I did and to have spent the quality time with her, getting to know who she was. She will be missed!

My cousin, Pam, wanted to add that “Granny had the heart of a servant, the patience of Job and the strength of an Olympic weight lifter. ‘I still can't open jars that she closed!’ Her family always came first, she loved to laugh and saw the best in everyone.”



My Aunt Gail had this to say, “I am very blessed to have had Cindy for my mother-in-law. From the very first time I met her, over 50 years ago, she went out of her way to make me feel loved and accepted. She was always like a second mother to me. I guess it always made me realize how special she was when I would hear others complain about their mother-in-law or would hear mother-in-law jokes. Cindy made everyone welcome at her house and she made us all feel special. Most importantly she loved God and lived her faith. Cindy was always checking to see ‘if you went to church today!’”