Lucille Marcella Whitmill of McKinney, Texas, passed away March 24, 2018, at the age of 97. She was born June 27, 1920, to Royal Lester Brantley and Vera Marcella Spellmann in Rocky, Texas. Lucille grew up on a farm in DeWitt County. She graduated from Harlandale High School in San Antonio, Texas. Lucille earned a bachelor’s degree in music at Southwest Texas State Teachers College and a master’s degree (MA) at East Texas State University. She was the first one in her family to go to college. She married R. C. Whitmill on May 24, 1941, in San Antonio, Texas. After R. C.’s passing in 1975, the portrait his sister Helen Cullins painted provided comfort and remembrances. Lucille taught at multiple districts in Texas where she taught typing and later taught business at Western Illinois University, from which she retired in 1985. She was a gifted pianist, both by sight and by ear, playing the instrument from age five until her death. Lucille mastered classical works and the popular music of her youth, both of which she presented to appreciative audiences for more than eight decades. Her hobbies included traveling, golfing, and tennis. She enjoyed the challenge of completing the daily puzzles and crosswords from the newspaper as well as weekly board games with her sisters. Never afraid to speak her mind, Lucille would always keep in contact with her family. Her regular, typewritten letters shared her thoughts for the day, clippings from the paper for her to comment upon, stories, and memories.
She is survived in death by her sons, Michael Whitmill and wife Jo of McKinney, Texas and Jeffrey Whitmill and wife Glenna of Chaska, Minnesota; grandchildren, Elycia Whitmill, Kyle Whitmill and family Leyla Sherman and her son Jadon Oliver, Heather Crouse, Amanda Warren and husband Ben; great-grandchildren, Megan Grizzle and Olivia Warren; brother, John David Brantley; sisters, Glenna Isham and Kathleen Jones; and a host of other family members.
Lucille was preceded in death by her husband, R.C. Whitmill, parents, Royal and Vera Brantley, brother, Royal Brantley, and sister, June Hughes.
A memorial service will be held at 2:00 p.m. on Saturday, April 21, 2018 in the chapel at Trinity Presbyterian Church, 5871 Virginia Parkway, McKinney, Texas 75071 (972.542.4629). A reception will follow.
Memorials may be sent to Trinity Presbyterian Church, Losh Scholarship which selects a graduating senior from the church who is planning to study music in college. This fund will honor three things that Lucille loved – church, music, and education. Checks may be made to Trinity Presbyterian Church with Losh Fund in the note section. Alternatively, donations may be made online as follows:
- Go to tpcmckinney.org/giving
- Scroll down, find and click on “Donate Online”
- Select Losh Scholarship, and continue