Toni Gill Safley

Toni Gill Safley, a long-time Austin resident, passed away on Wednesday, November 11, 2015 at Brookdale Westlake Hills Senior Living Community. She was 94. Toni was born on February 27, 1921 in Hugo, Oklahoma to Robert Alver & Audrey Combs Gill. She graduated from Stamford High School, Stamford, TX with honors in cheerleading in June 1939. Following graduation, and secretarial school in New York City, she eventually made her way to San Antonio and worked at Brooks Field supporting the Army Air Corp Cadet Program. In 1941, she married Don Louis Safley, a 2nd Lieutenant who had just earned his pilot wings in Class 41-F. Together Don and Toni traveled the globe as Don's Air Force assignments took them to Germany twice, Japan, Hawaii and several postings in the United States. Along the way, they had two sons: Jon Gill, born in 1945 and Bruce Alan, in 1950. Throughout their time in the Air Force, Toni took advantage of many of the opportunities that foreign travel afforded them. Over time, she became a gourmet cook, decorator of homes, a cultivator of orchids, a lover of high fashion, and collector of antiques.

Following Don's retirement from the Air Force in 1968, they moved to Los Angeles, CA where Don entered the business world. In 1975 they moved to Evansville, IN, and finally in 1983, they retired to Austin. Once back in town, she worked with her son, Bruce, in his antiques business, Antediluvian Antiques.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Don in 2005, brother, Russell Gill of Weatherford, TX, and sister, Joan Sellers of Kerrville, TX. Her survivors include sister Marion Smith and husband Sam of San Antonio; son Jon and wife Kathy of Fairfax Station, VA; son Bruce and Barbara Whitehead of Austin; two granddaughters: Drs. Darden and husband Shawn Purcell of Springfield, VA, and Megan and husband John Cummings of Gainesville, VA; great-grandchildren Abigail and Cole Cummings; three nephews: Bob Gill and wife Beverly and their daughter Shelley of Weatherford, TX; John Davenport, wife Kim and children Hannah & Jacob of San Antonio; JP and wife Karen Hunerwadel of Prattville, AL and their daughters, Emily and Elaina; and her niece: Marilyn LeBorde and husband Tim of Kingswood, TX.

The Safley family would like to thank Anne & Laura of Professional Caretakers & their ladies Elena, Cheryl, Sylvia, Claire, Maureen, Amanda, Estella, Mary, Wendy, Cora, Margarita, Vergie and others. We also would like to thank Toni's doctors Sidney Robin & Mathew Selmon and the wonderful staff at Brookdale. And we cannot begin to express our many thanks to Debbie Gutierrez, her trusty sidekick and sometimes confidant and her mom, Mary too.

Wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, remarkable cook, fashionista, and antiques connoisseur, Toni will be missed by her family and friends.

A celebration of her life will be held Sunday, December 6, 2015 from 3-6 pm at her home.

Interment will be at 10:00 A.M. on Wednesday, January 13, 2016 at Fort Sam Houston National Cemetery, San Antonio, Texas.

In lieu of flowers memorial contributions to Hospice Austin will be appreciated.