Sparkman Hillcrest Obits

Marilyn Bernice Rich, nee Rodgon, preceded in death by her treasured husband George, beloved parents Robert and Edith and devoted brother Jack; most adored mother of Alan (Sarah), Robert (Alison), and Nikki (Glenn) Earich, doting grandmother of Edward, Alex, Josh, Olivia, Noah, Hannah, Katie, Graham, George and Evelyn, passed away on April 18, 2024 after an unexpected illness. A Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Northwestern University, Marilyn spent most of her life in Illinois raising her family after retiring from teaching while working two days a week in her husband's optometry practice. In 1995, she and her family opened The Eyeland of St. John's optical shop in Highland Park where she...

Randy Joe Foster, a devoted husband, father, and PopPop, passed away peacefully on April 16th, 2024. Randy was born on January 30th, 1964, in Dallas, Texas. Randy is survived by his loving wife of 30 years Kristen Cameron Foster, his daughter Chandler Kay Hallum, son-in-law Obie Hallum, grandson Charles John Hallum, and his son Cody Joe Foster. He is also survived by his father Tommy Joe Foster and wife Judy Foster, sister Kim Foster, and numerous nieces and nephews. Randy is preceded in death by his mother Patricia Marie Foster. Randy had a very successful career in pallet recycling. Randy and his father Tommy founded and operated two wooden pallet companies from the late 1970s until 1998...

Michael Curtis Parker was a loving husband, devoted father and dear friend to many during his life. Born in Dallas on September 21, 1948, he died on April 14, 2024 after a long and courageous battle with cancer. After graduating from Kemper Military School in Boonville, Missouri, Mike attended Southern Methodist University, graduating with a BBA in 1972 and was a member of Kappa Sigma Fraternity. Mike was a successful businessman in the Dallas area for over 50 years. As an active Life Member of the East Dallas Exchange Club, Mike especially enjoyed the annual State Fair of Texas Exchange Club "Sunshine Day" and the annual Dallas Jr. Golf Tournament, both significant charities. You could...

Jackson Lee Raley passed away on April 12, 2024. He was born in Dallas, Texas, on March 4, 1930, to Willie Belle (Perry) Raley and Lee Raley. Known affectionately as Jack, he attended Bradfield Elementary where he was a member of Boy Scout Troop #73, and he attained the rank of Eagle Scout. A lifelong Texan, Jack grew up on Lorraine Avenue in Highland Park where he and his neighborhood friends played baseball in the street with the imbedded stop sign as home base. He cherished fond memories of his childhood in the Park Cities. In 1947, he graduated from Highland Park High School where he tried to get a date with a cute cheerleader named Nancy Buckley. During his senior year at Texas A&M...

Richard W. "Dick" Heath, 82, passed away peacefully on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, in Dallas, Texas. Born on February 26, 1942, in Evanston, Illinois, to Lewis White and Cornelia Francis Jordan Heath, Dick graduated from Lyman High School in 1960 and married his first wife, Mary Anne Anderson in March 1962. He married Jinger Lee Maples on June 16, 1973, and in 2023 they celebrated their 50th anniversary. Dick was a savvy entrepreneur. During the 1970s, Dick worked at Tri-Chem, and in 1981, he and Jinger purchased a fledgling subsidiary of Tri-Chem called BeautiControl Cosmetics. They took BeautiControl public in March of 1986, and by 1996 BeautiControl had introduced several innovative...

Patricia Lynne McCrory was welcomed into Heaven peacefully the morning of April 9, 2024. She was born on April 21, 1940 in Denver, CO where she resided throughout her early life and attended the University of Colorado. She ultimately chose to fly around the nation as a young stewardess until getting married and starting a family in San Antonio, TX, and eventually settling in Dallas. After her children were grown, she pursued a successful career in the residential real estate title business. As a woman of strong faith, her relationship with Jesus Christ was the pillar of her life. Pattie joined her close circle of friends in frequent bible studies and volunteer opportunities with numerous...

William Herbert Hunt of Dallas, Texas went to be with his Lord and Savior on April 9, 2024, at the age of 95. Herbert was born to H. L. Hunt and Lyda Bunker Hunt on March 6, 1929, in El Dorado, Arkansas. His family moved to Tyler, Texas when he was a year old and then to Dallas when he was nine. Herbert attended Dallas Country Day School, Stonewall Jackson Elementary, and J. L. Long Middle School before, as he put it, "being shipped off" to The Hill School in Pottstown, Pennsylvania. After graduation from The Hill School, he attended Washington and Lee University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Geology. While at Washington and Lee, Herbert met Nancy Jane Broaddus on...

James Marvin Schendle was born on May 7, 1944 in Bastrop, LA to Miriam and Joe Schendle and died on April 7, 2024 in Dallas, TX. Jimmy, as he was known to his friends and family, lived a full life that took him from Bastrop to New Orleans (Tulane University) to Austin (University of Texas School of Law) to Washington, D.C. (Treasury Department) and eventually to Dallas where he settled with the love of his life, Carolyn Jaffe Schendle a fourth generation Dallasite who predeceased him on July 9, 2021. They eventually settled in the Park Cities and raised three boys, Jason, Matthew and Andrew. Family was everything to Jimmy. That extended to his siblings: Bobby (Kathy) and H.I. (Susan)...

William James (Bill) Sloan, Jr., ascended into eternity on April 5, 2024, 3 months shy of his 101st birthday. Born in Dallas, 7/17/23, he grew up in East Dallas until 1933. During the depression, his family moved to a farm near Able Springs Community, east of Dallas. His mother lasted one year, as she was a city girl - but the kids loved it. They moved back to Oak Cliff, then Pleasant Grove- a great place to live. His family attended Pleasant Grove First Baptist. After graduating from Pleasant Grove H.S., '41, Bill started his long career at Southwestern Life. In Sales Training there he maintained many friendships. After 35 years he became a sales agent. In WWII he was proud to serve in the...

Our sweet Sonja passed from this life into the presence of her Lord and Savior on Thursday, April 4, 2024. She was recently diagnosed with cancer (the week before!) Survived by her adored cousin Barbara Jean Bilger and her sister-in-law, Doris Campbell Romanowski and a large family of friends. Preceded in death by parents Elma Bilger and Raymond Romanowski, brother R. Ernest, Jr., and cousin Dr. A. Paul Bilger, Jr., and her dear friend Diana Kay (DeeDee) Mitchell. She and her brother with their parents experienced travel all over the world. Sonja and DeeDee continued to travel to over 50 countries. Over the years we all heard fabulous stories and if you happened to be going somewhere and...

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Rosaline Jean Hastings Thompson passed away on Wednesday, April 3, 2024 from an extended battle with Alzheimer's Disease. She was the daughter of the late Richard O. Hasting and Margaret Fairey Hastings and was born on January 25, 1955 in Columbia, SC. After obtaining both a Bachelors and Masters degree from the University of South Carolina, she moved with her (surviving) high school sweetheart and husband of 47 years, E. Earle Thompson to Texas. She was in the real estate Title business as both an Escrow Officer and manager of several Title offices. After having her (surviving) children; Rachel Michelle Faircloth (Justin), Sara Carolyn Thompson (fianc?e Macoy), and Elizabeth Christine...

Ugo Piccagli, 88, passed away peacefully on Easter Sunday, March 31st, 2024, surrounded by all of his favorite people. In typical Ugo fashion, he fought hard with family by his side until the end. Ugo was born on December 4, 1935 in the small Northern Italian town of Mantova. Growing up in the epicenter of a world war, Ugo learned resilience, passion, and intense loyalty at a young age, and all who knew him would agree that these were traits he embodied every single day of his life. It was in this small town that Ugo met the love of his life, Kitty. Together, they were a force, traveling from Italy to France, North Africa, and Canada, as Ugo's career in the specialized deep foundation...

Norma Jean Arment was born on March 21, 1931 on a farm in Smith County, Kansas. She was the daughter of Art and Bessie Strong, the eldest of three, having a brother, Buck, and a sister, Jacque. Jean attended all eight grades at Uhl, a one room rural school. She graduated from Smith Center High School in 1948, spent the summer at Fort Hays State College, and at the age of 17 began teaching in a one room rural school. This began her life-long career of teaching, working with and for children. She started the pre-school at Hudson United Methodist Church in Ohio, taught at North Park Presbyterian, and was the Director of the preschool at University Park United Methodist Church for many years....

Gregory Scott Fields of Plano, Texas passed away peacefully on March 24, 2024. His parents, brother and sister, and other family members and caregivers were with him. He was a loving and outgoing man who cherished life. Greg was born on January 14, 1964 in Anderson, Indiana. He moved to Dayton, Ohio when he was just 5 months old and then to New Jersey at age 4. He then lived in Odessa, Texas briefly before moving to Marion, Indiana in 1970. In the sixth grade, he came to Texas where he spent the remainder of his life except for his college years at Anderson University in Indiana. Greg was a bright child and a good student. He also loved sports and the great outdoors. He could swim...

Douglas Kent Newsom, beloved husband and son, went to be with his Lord on March 23, 2024. Douglas was born in Dallas, Texas on July 17, 1986. He graduated from Highland Park High School in 2005. He then went on to earn a BA degree from Baylor University and then a BSN degree from TWU after which he embarked on his career as a nurse. Being a nurse was a perfect fit for the love, care and compassion Douglas always showed to others and also to animals of every kind. Douglas enjoyed competitive rowing, many world travels and spending time with his family. He earned the rank of Eagle Scout for which he was always proud. Douglas was a long-time member of Wilshire Baptist Church. Douglas is...

A funeral service for Blanche Therese (Williams) Morgan, (July 7,1923 - March 22, 2024), daughter of Blanche (Wright) Williams and Eugene Williams of Sulphur Springs, Texas, will be held on Friday, April 19, in the chapel at Sparkman-Hillcrest Funeral Home in Dallas, at 2:00 pm, with The Rev. Dr. Robert C. Preece officiating. An informal visitation will be held the day before, also at Sparkman-Hillcrest, on Thursday, April 18, from 5:00 pm to 7:00 pm. The graveside service and Interment will be at City Cemetery in Sulphur Springs, Texas, at 3:00 pm on Saturday, April 20.

William Otto Fifield, age 77, passed away at his home in Dallas, Texas on March 22, 2024 following a brief period of illness. Bill was born on May 25, 1946 in Gary, Indiana to William H. and Margarete B. Fifield and spent his childhood growing up in nearby Crown Point. He was on the track team in Junior High and High School and also played flute in both the concert and marching bands. He went on to Purdue University, following in the footsteps of his father and grandfather, Otto G. Fifield. He was a member of Beta Theta Pi social fraternity, Sigma Delta Chi journalism fraternity, and Omicron Delta Kappa leadership fraternity, and was also editor-in-chief of the Purdue Exponent, the...

Claire Mendive Brainin, age 94, a resident of Dallas, Texas, passed away unexpectedly on March 19, 2024. She possessed personal strength, a surprising sense of humor, and lasting beauty throughout her life. Claire was born on November 22, 1929, in Tampico, Mexico, where her father was an executive with Standard Oil of New Jersey. She had an international childhood, growing up in Maracaibo and Caracas, Venezuela. At age 16, she moved to San Antonio, Texas, where she attended Incarnate Word High School as a boarding student. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin in 1952 with a degree in Business Administration. At UT, Claire was a member of Alpha Chi Omega sorority, a...

Born on June 1, 1955 and raised in Grove City, Ohio, Suzi passed away on March 19, 2024 in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Grove City High School in 1973 and from The Ohio State University in 1977. Suzi moved to Dallas, Texas, and married Bruce Staffin in 1986. They remained married until his death in 2007. Suzi's passions were her horse and dogs. She was predeceased by her husband, and her father Dwight E. Lambert. She is survived by her mother, Johann M. Lambert of Montgomery, Alabama; her siblings Barbara Lambert Patrick and her husband Ferrell Patrick of Montgomery, Alabama; and Bill Lambert of Orient, Ohio.

It is with heavy hearts we announce Della Jo (Russel) Laurini passed away March 17, 2024. The only child born in Houston to Annie Eliza (Love) Russel and Hugo Herman Russel on June 18, 1926. She was loving, caring, fun, creative, full of grace and poised wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, aunt, cousin with many friends. We will always remember her great personality and laugh. She grew up during the Great Depression, went to high school during WWII, and worked at Houston Courthouse. Jo met the love of her life, 1st Lt. Zane P. Laurini, and they married August 3, 1946. Together, they had two children in Houston, and were married 60 years. Moving to Dallas in 1954 pioneering...