Florence H. Lamb

She was born on Christmas Eve, December 24th, 1921 at Ft. Mills, Corregidor Island in the Philippines. She was called home to the Church Triumphant on Thursday, January 17, 2019.

Florence was born into an Army family at a time when her father was stationed in the Philippines. She learned to speak Filipino before learning English. As military families do, hers moved every few years. From the Philippines they moved to New York, New Jersey, Virginia, Panama Canal Zone, and Texas.

In Texas, they were first stationed in Galveston, then onto Bryan/College Station where she attended A&M Consolidated High School and graduated in 1940. She spent hours inside helping her mom in the kitchen as well as outside, playing tennis and swimming. During their time in College Station, the family became Aggie enthusiasts. They attended A&M games, dances, yell practice, bonfires and enjoyed watching the Aggie band. Texas A&M was originally established as a military institution and women were not allowed to attend. This was still the case when she was in high school which means she was going to college dances with college men. She had a wonderful time growing up in what was then a small town. There is a story of a smudge pot, which back then was put on the road to warn of pot holes, ending up on someone’s porch.

Growing up, her and her four siblings were in various school and church choirs.While driving between stateside moves, they would sing from the back seat to pass the time. She loved to sing harmony and her dad especially loved their rendition of “Red River Valley”. After high school graduation, she attended TSCW, Texas State College for Women, in Denton in the fall of 1940.

Then came WWII. To help in the war effort, Mom and her two sisters arranged to go to the recruiting offices in Houston to inquire how they could help. Mom went to the Navy recruiting office, where she promptly joined the WAVES, Women Accepted for Volunteer Emergency Services. At the same time, her sisters went to the Army recruiting office. Afterward, the three met for lunch finding that Florence had enlisted and her sisters had talked themselves out of enlisting. Although surprised, no serious damage was done to the family relationship. However, it was mentioned a time or two through the years. In the WAVES, Florence was stationed in San Diego and again made many new friends. She was honorably discharged from the Navy in April 1946.

WWII was a life changing experience for her and her army family as well as it was for the nation. Her father’s assignment after the war was to Tokyo with the Army of Occupation as the Military Governor of Tokyo. She was able to go along. While in Japan, she learned some Japanese phrases which she never, ever forgot. She was able to tour all over the country. Of course the devastation was unimaginable but amazing to see the rebuilding. Her experiences in Japan included a cultural sharing of dance steps. She shared the steps to “Put Your Little Foot” and “Cotton-Eye Joe”. Then there was the excursion to the Russian Embassy in Japan which involved a vodka experience. As the story goes, she needed to sit down and there were no chairs.

From Japan, the family returned stateside and she moved to Houston, Tx. where she met John E. Lamb. John and Florence were married on September 8, 1951 and had 42 years together. They resided in Houston to raise a family. She was eventually promoted to “office manager and head of all things administrative” at LEICO, Lamb Electronic Instrument Co., a company started by John a few years after they married.

After growing up as “Army Protestant” due to the assorted faiths of the base chaplains, she became a member of various Presbyterian churches during her lifetime. She also attended a Community and Methodist church. She was a Sunday school teacher, Girl Scout leader, Camp Fire leader, involved in the neighborhood garden club, bible study and bridge club. She was a sports fan. With baseball being her favorite, she was an avid Astros fan. She spent time watching and attending many of the games with family and friends.

Thanks to her children, she had dogs and cats but she especially loved dogs. She had several very loyal canine companions over the years. When her children were young, she would try to resist the strays brought home. For some she successfully found new homes, but for one precious black lab mix puppy found on a cold winter day, a deal was successfully negotiated to keep the puppy just until it warms up. John held the children to the deal and would explain to others over the years “That dog hasn’t warmed up yet”. In addition to all the family pets, she kept the birds and neighborhood peacocks fed. She also loved plants, flowers, gardening, yard work and just being outside. Along with her LEICO responsibilities, and cooking and sewing for her family, she stayed busy.

She will be remembered for her great, witty sense of humor, her determined independent spirit, her strong faith and her unwavering perspective that things “will all work out”. As long as she was able, she went for daily walks around the block with her dogs.

She was preceded in death by her husband, John E. Lamb, her father, Col. Frank A. Hollingshead, Ret., her mother, Ethel S. Hollingshead, her sister, Margaret Hollingshead Bird, two brothers, Frank A. Hollingshead Jr. and John S. Hollingshead, and two grandchildren, Amber and Blake Leonhardt.

She is survived by her sister, Frances Hollingshead Dixon and four daughters, Gail Duncan and husband Pete, Gay Dobbs and husband David, Frances Jordan and husband Paul, Peggy Leonhardt and husband Bobby.

Surviving grandchildren include Robert Duncan and wife Bailey, Jennifer Duncan, Ryan McDow and wife Heidi, Rachel Hutchinson and husband Mark, Curtis Jordan and wife Rachel, Elise Meisinger and husband Daniel, Daniel Jordan, Jacob Leonhardt and wife Krystil, John Leonhardt and wife Alexis, and Joshua Leonhardt.

Surviving great grandchildren include Elliot Duncan, Maddie McDow and Helen, Steward and Carl Hutchinson. She is also survived by four nieces and six nephews. Survivors also include many extended family and friends. Too many to mention, but you know who you are.

“And now may the silence of the hills,

the joy of the wind,

the peace of the fields,

the music of the birds,

the fire of the sun,

the strength of the trees,

the faith of a little child,

in all of which is God,

be in your hearts now and evermore…

Amen”

A Service of Witness to the Resurrection will be held at Advent Lutheran Church, 5820 Pinemont Dr. Houston, Tx 77092 on February 8th, 2019 at 10:30 am. Burial to follow at Houston National Cemetery 10410 Veterans Memorial Dr. Houston, Tx 77038 at 2:00 pm.

In lieu of flowers, the family suggests a donation to the Houston SPCA or the charity of your choice.