Carol "Katy" Tisdale

Carol Kay ‘Katy’ Tisdale, 77, of Keller, Texas, formerly of Victoria, passed away Thursday, August 29, 2013 after her yearlong battle with esophageal cancer. She was born July 20, 1936, in La Plata, Missouri, to the late Edward and Miltie Johnson Gupton. She was not only a mother and homemaker, but also assisted her husband as his office manager for almost 30 years in his private family practice clinic. In addition, she was a member of Baptist Temple Church.

Katy grew up in a small town in northeast Missouri called LaPlata. Her dad was a farmer and owned a local tavern. Her mother was a homemaker. Katy was the youngest of three children with an older brother and sister.

While in school, she was quite the ‘tomboy’ and thoroughly enjoyed playing on the baseball and basketball teams and ultimately becoming Captain of the basketball team while in high school. She was also an avid horse lover and owned her own beautiful palomino horse that she named ‘Pal’. She was a very adept rider and when she was 13 or 14yrs old, she rode Pal up the steep, steep front steps of a local (abandoned) church. Being a small town, this caused quite a stir and a small gathering formed at the sight of this ‘little kid’ riding her horse up these steps. Within minutes, concern grew as to how this young girl was going to get her and her horse back down these dangerous steps safely. But she was able to skillfully guide her trusted friend, Pal down the steps, backwards with perfect ease.

In her later teen and young adult years, she was a runner up for queen of the town centennial celebration and rode her elegant palomino in the parade.

After graduating from high school, she got a job as a local telephone operator and shortly thereafter, met her future husband, Duane Tisdale through a mutual friend. He was attending medical school in Kirksville, Missouri at the time. After a period of courtship/dating, he ‘popped’ the question and they married on Sept 6, 1958.

Katy continued working as a telephone operator to help put Duane through school and pay the bills, and moved to Kirksville, then both to Houston, Texas, while Duane was finishing up his medical degree and internships. Upon completion of receiving his degree, the young couple moved to south Texas, eventually settling in Victoria, and Duane began his medical career.

Katy then began one of the most important roles of her life: mother. She gave birth to Mark Edward Tisdale on March 20, 1962, Lee Anthony ‘Tony’ Tisdale on February 20, 1964 and her only daughter, Stephanie Kay Tisdale on May 10, 1967.

She was a very generous, incredibly loving and protective mother. She would do anything for her children without a thought for herself and frequently did. When her only daughter was just a baby, she and Katy were caught in a flood while Katy was driving in downtown Victoria. They got caught in a low lying area that was completely flooded and the car was literally being carried away. Duane was listening to the news at the time and heard the event unfolding as it was happening. By the description of the car, female driver and baby, he knew that it was his wife and youngest child. He was helpless and terrified, but Katy kept her composure and was able to roll down the window (manually at that time) and was just able to squeeze herself and her child out of the car window. She showed up at the clinic’s doorstep, soaking wet, with the baby safe in her arms, albeit a wet one.

Katy continued to show acts of selflessness and loyalty in regards to her children, husband, family and friends throughout her life and always wanted the best for everyone. She was a great listener and confidante, and although she was a rather quiet woman, she definitely had her moments of unexpected humor. She was an optimist who believed that you could find a positive side to any situation and when faced with adversity, she would always say ‘I’m tough’.

Katy was a very special lady; a wonderful, caring and thoughtful mother, wife, sister, grandmother and aunt, and a friend to all who knew her. She will be sorely missed, but we will all take a piece of her courage, stubbornness and optimism with us. She was a very simple person, never much for flashy things and always thought of others first.

If there is a lesson to take from Katy’s life, it is to remember that family and friends are to be treasured, loved and nurtured and somewhere deep inside, we all have the strength and courage to get through anything because we’re ‘tough’.

Katy is survived by her husband of 55 years, Dr. C. Duane Tisdale of Keller; Texas, sons, Mark Tisdale, independent business owner, and wife, Diana of Victoria, and Dr. Tony Tisdale and wife, Ruth of Roanoke, Texas and daughter, Stephanie Payne, MPAS, PA-C, RDCS, and husband, Jim, of Lewisville, Texas. She is also survived by her sister, Sheryl Perry and husband Lew of Tucson, Arizona, nephews, David, Stephen and John Perry and niece, Susan Lespron, and three beautiful grandchildren, Ashlee, Rachel and Michael Tisdale.

In addition to her parents she was preceded in death by her brother, Tommy Gupton.

The family will receive friends from 6:00 – 8:00 pm Friday, September 6, 2013, at Rosewood Funeral Chapel.

Funeral services will be at 10:00 am Saturday, September 7, 2013, at Rosewood Funeral Chapel, Rev. J. V. Helms officiating. Burial will follow in Memory Gardens Cemetery.

Pallbearers will be Terry, Wesley, Blake, Chase, Jacobie and Michael Tisdale, Jim Payne and Clark Cash.

Honorary pallbearers will be David, Stephen and John Perry and Tony Lespron.

During the last few years of her life, Katy suffered from dementia. This caused challenges not only with her memory, but also caused her to be fearful of certain things because of her faulty memory. Daughter, Stephanie, created "Katy's Book of Answers" as an effort to help her remember activities of daily living. The book contains this important information in her own hand, as well advice from other family members. It also contains photographs of her and family, all of which were provided to help allay her fears.

Because many of you may not have had an opportunity to speak to Katy recently, the family is offering her “memory book” as a place for anyone who would like to say something to her, or to offer any helpful advice. The book will be available at the visitation and funeral for those who wish to share a thought or memory. Please feel free to write your own words of love and friendship, or well wishes, for a safe journey to her heavenly home.

If desired, flowers may be sent to Rosewood Funeral Home, but donations can also be made in lieu of flowers as memorials in Katy’s name. Donations can be made to Heart to Heart Hospice, 5608 Malvey Avenue, Suite 200, Fort Worth, Texas, 76107; www.hearttohearthospice.com and Ranch Hand Rescue, 8827 Highway 377 South, Argyle, Texas 76226 www.ranchhandrescue.com.

Words of comfort may be shared with the family at www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com.