Debbie Thomas Lackey

Born Deborah Marie Thomas on February 26, 1951, Debbie lived nearly her entire life in Austin, attending Casis Elementary, O’Henry Middle School, Austin High School, and the University of Texas. But it was during her few years living in Houston in the mid-1970s that she met the love of her life, Doug Lackey, and became a “Bicentennial Bride” in 1976.

Debbie and Doug raised their son Holt and daughter Megan in Austin, in a home full of love, imagination, and adventure. From in-depth homemade craft birthday invitations in their early years to constructing detailed itineraries of the finest restaurants and sights on their college tours, she lived for Holt and Megan.

Her interests were varied and passionate, and always accompanied by a twinkle of her eye and a note in her laughter that recognized life is short, amusing, grand, and to be enjoyed. She was passionate about travel and travel to Italy in particular, interests that inspired her to become a licensed travel agent and to return to school to learn Italian in her 40s.

Even when she was at home in Austin, her sense of imagination and adventure meant the world and horizons were always broad. Her love and knowledge of classic movies was encyclopedic, sincere, and infectious, and life with Debbie often felt like a great epic or screwball comedy grand enough for the silver screen. A member of the UT “Brain Bowl” team and a finalist for UT cheerleader at the same time in college, as an adult Debbie would recruit her many friends to dress in vintage 1970’s clothes to audition as extras in local film shoots, to don baseball caps and sunglasses as “college boys” costumes to engage in amateur private investigations, or to work their way backstage to meet musical acts from Marvin Hamlisch to her beloved Aerosmith.

She was always blessed by a full cast of friends and worthy coconspirators, whom she gathered throughout her life: from high school, college, Junior League, and her neighborhood, to her “sewing club” that never once sewed a stitch.

Since her Alzheimer’s diagnosis, her friends and family have learned to say goodbye and mourn various parts of her personality one piece at a time, and yet her death still feels like a whole world is gone.

The family sincerely thanks the ownership, management, and caretakers of Southern Hospitality Home for their kindness and care in her last year.

She is preceded in death by her father Donald Scott Thomas, her mother Jane Holt Thomas, her brother Donald Scott Thomas, Jr., and Doris Bell, who helped raise her and whom she loved. She is survived by her brother Fred, her husband Doug, her children Holt and Megan, and her grandchildren Carson, Georgia, and Hayes, who love and will miss their “Doobie” very much.

The family will hold a private burial at Austin Memorial Park, with Weed Corley Fish funeral home coordinating. At an appropriate time a memorial service will be held at the Ladybird Johnson Wildflower Center, an institution to which she devoted countless volunteer hours in the years of its founding. In lieu of flowers, a donation may be made to the Alzheimer’s Association.