Lucille "Lucy" Marie Stafford

Lucille “Lucy” Marie Stafford, 86, of Amarillo, TX passed away January 4, 2025.

Memorial service will be at 5:00 PM, Monday, January 13, 2025 at Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel, 2800 Paramount. Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors. 

Lucille Marie Higdon was born in Canyon, Texas on March 5th, 1937. She was the third of four children born to Ralph Aaron Higdon and Martha Anne Totty Higdon. She was raised in the Amarillo / Canyon area for the majority of her childhood, except for a few year’s when the family moved to San Bernardino, California. She had good memories of her time in California with her brothers and sister. 

Lucy, as her friends and family referred to her, attended Sanborn Elementary, Nixon Junior High and graduated from Amarillo High School in 1956. Upon graduation she went to work at the Greyhound bus terminal in downtown Amarillo.

Lucy married her high school sweetheart, Carroll Stafford, in 1958. They had known each other since elementary school, and as a good friend used to say, “You seldom saw one of them without seeing the other”. They were married for 65 year’s before Carroll passed away in October of 2023. They truly loved each other, and were committed to the raising of their three sons.

 Lucy was a stay at home mother until her youngest started school and then worked as a secretary for Camper Round-up and eventually went to work as a Legal secretary for Harlow Sprouse at the law firm of Sprouse, Mozola, Smith and Rowley. She took great pride in her work and always spoke fondly of the lawyers and other secretaries she worked with during that time.

Lucy recounted her time with the Papago Indian tribe in Arizona as one of her most rewarding endeavors. She went on some mission trips with a group from Paramount Baptist Church in the 70’s and always remembered this time of her life as having real value. She spoke of spending time with the children of that tribe, and that was one thing she was a natural at, relating to and connecting with children. 

Lucy found her love for sport in her adult life. It fit her competitive nature, and when the opportunity came up to ride dirt bikes at the river, or join a bowling league or play in a tennis tournament, she was all in. Probably her greatest love was mixed league soccer which she competed in until her late 50’s.

After raising their family, Lucy and Carroll moved to New Mexico to a Cabin that they found that was in need of completion. She loved the seclusion and the wildlife. Countless pictures of Bears, deer, squirrels and birds were always something she was ready to share. They enjoyed a decade or more of living there year-round where they became a part of the community. They joined the First Baptist Church of Angel Fire, and volunteered their time at a thrift store called the “Attic” in Eagles Nest. Visits from her Grand children at the Cabin to ride four wheelers, go fishing, hiking or even skiing were memories she cherished. She was a great hostess and always made people feel special.

Lucy was blessed to have dedicated and faithful friends. Some from her child hood and others she met late in life. These friends served her well during her fight with dementia and faithfully visited and made her feel loved and cared for. 

Her faith in her savior, our Lord Jesus Christ, was evident in her writings and poetry and gives her family great comfort. 

She was preceded in death by her mother and father, and siblings, her son Richard Collin Stafford, and her husband Carroll Ray Stafford. 

She is survived by sons, Charli (Penny) of Rogers Arkansas, and Joe (Lee) of Amarillo; grandchildren, Katie Beth McCallie (Cade) of San Antonio, Texas, Peyton Stafford (Karlee) of Arkadelphia, Arkansas, and Tristan Stafford of Rogers, Arkansas; Great Grandchildren, Hayes Stafford McCallie and Palmer Nicole Stafford and many nieces and nephews.