Sparkman Hillcrest Obits
1938 - 2023
Sally R. Lancaster passed away peacefully on Friday, March 3, 2023. She was predeceased by her beloved husband, Olin C. Lancaster Jr. - her Idlewild debutante escort - with whom she spent an incredible life and 57 years of marriage. She is survived by her three children, Olin (Pamela) Lancaster of Wilton, CT, George Lancaster of Houston, and Julie (Grinnell) Morris of Los Angeles; her brother, G. Tomas Rhodus (Debbie); and sister, Evy Kay Washburne (Dick) of Dallas; two loving grandsons, Olin Lancaster IV and Christopher Lancaster, also of Dallas; and beloved nieces and nephews.
She was born in Gladewater, TX to George and Milly Marie (Meadows) Rhodus. She graduated from Odessa HS with her lifelong best friend Deanna Sandlin. A tenacious student, she graduated magna cum laude with a BA from Southern Methodist University in '60 and earned an MA there in '79. She earned her PhD from Texas A&M - Commerce (FKA ETSU) in '83.
After an early career in primary education, her love of community led her to a life of civic leadership. When her uncle, Algur H. Meadows, died in 1978, Sally and her cousin Curtis Meadows, Jr. assumed staff positions-him as president and her as EVP over grantmaking- to professionally lead The Meadows Foundation of Texas that, to date, has awarded more than $1.3B to thousands of institutions benefiting Texas. Through their leadership, the foundation built a reputation of national respect.
Sally was tireless in her conviction to preserve environmental diversity, enhance public education, bolster arts and culture and improve healthcare access. She was particularly proud of the work she and the foundation pioneered along the Texas/Mexico border with Los Caminos del Rio, an ambitious undertaking to preserve the border's historical and cultural artifacts and encourage heritage tourism as an economic driver in one of the poorest regions. It was a 'quintessentially Sally' project that furthered the foundation's vision of thinking bigger, bolder and more systemically.
As a board member of Friends of Fair Park, Sally championed the Leonhardt Lagoon in Fair Park. Through her work with renowned environmental artist Patricia Johanson, the stagnant lagoon was reimagined as a site-specific art piece with large sculptural forms that that became microhabitats for wildlife. Today, it's a vibrant place of education and recreation, and one of its tributaries was dedicated by the artist as "Sally's Leaf."
Through her work with the foundation and other institutions, Sally became a respected leader in Dallas and throughout Texas. In 1998, she co-received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the Texas Historical Commission. She was named a Distinguished Alumni by SMU and was later honored as a History Maker during SMU's Centennial.
She was a director and trustee of SMU and served on the board of regents of East Texas State University. She was a director of the Institute of Nautical Archaeology and an on the advisory board of the Communities Foundation of Texas. After her years of service to the Meadows Foundation as a director, trustee and staff member, she retired in 1996 as Director Emeritus.
A champion bridge player who achieved the rank of Grand Life Master, she was a member of the Philosophical Society Texas, Phi Beta Kappa, Pi Beta Phi Fraternity, The Dallas Women's Club, the Marianne Scruggs Garden Club and Daughters of the American Revolution.
She had a passionate interest in genealogy, enjoyed buying and decorating new homes, sale shopping at Neiman-Marcus and hunting for sharks' teeth and sand dollars on the beaches of Florida. She loved her family, all children, cats, flowers and CNN. In her spare time, Sally wrote her great American novel, "And It Came to Pass" (unpublished) and wrote and scored a full-length musical, "Alice!"
Through her family, friends, or those whose lives she touched through her work, Sally's legacy and indomitable spirit carries on. A celebration of her life for family and friends will be planned in the weeks to come. She will be laid to rest in the Highland Park Presbyterian Church Columbarium next to her husband Olin. The family wishes to thank Sally's loving team of caregivers for their dedication to Sally over the last few years. In lieu of flowers, please consider a memorial gift to Friends of Fair Park, The Dallas Arboretum, the Meadows Museum at SMU or the charity of your choice.
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