Ray Nell Lonvick

Ray Nell graduated from Friona High School and the University of North Texas, where she met her husband, Ed Lonvick. They lived in Texas, Tennessee, New Jersey, Illinois, and Virginia, attending Lutheran churches along the way. Ray Nell worked briefly at Neiman Marcus when it was still a boutique in Dallas. However, for most of her life, she was a homemaker, mother, and survivor of a near-deadly bout of St. Louis encephalitis. Despite the lasting impact of the disease, she remained an artist, seamstress, postcard-writer, and, above all, a cardplayer. She was a master at bridge and continued to play well even in the final years of her life; days before her death, she was still playing solitaire and dominoes.

Following her illness at age thirty-five, she lived with seizures and profound memory loss, which she overcame by writing detailed notes and calendars. As she grew older, the seizures prompted falls: though many bones were broken, her spirit remained whole. She lived for decades in institutional settings but could still assure a visitor who brought her a cheeseburger and Coke that it was “the best day ever.” Her memory loss allowed her to celebrate special occasions whenever she liked, so birthdays and anniversaries came often. Her smile was radiant and her thanks were profuse.

Her imminent death was predicted many times, but she staged against-the-odds recoveries, deciding that bridge was more fun than death. Upon being told that she was a survivor, she replied with a smile, “Yes, I am a surpriser.” Both were true. She more than conquered the challenges of her life.

Ray Nell was preceded in death by her husband of 63 years, Edward, and her grandson Erik Lonvick. She is survived by her sister Pat Gunderson as well as her four children, Mailynn, Eric, Jill, and Beth (plus Beth’s husband Michael Cheuk and children Thea and Wesley).

The family wishes to thank the long-term care facilities that supported her during her final decades, the Woodland in Farmville and Heritage Inn in Charlottesville. A private ceremony will be held at her final resting place, the Dallas-Fort Worth National Cemetery, where she will rest alongside “that man she wed.” If you wish to honor Ray Nell, lift a Coke (a real one, not a Pepsi or a knock-off), deal a hand of cards, and greet visitors with a beatific smile.