Billie McAnally

March 15, 1928 - April 12, 2024

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Born Billie Hargis in Many, LA March 15, 1928 to Luella Burkett Hargis and Goode Hargis. Graduated Fair Park High School in Shreveport, LA in 1945 and Centenary College in 1948 (pre-med). She then completed Medical School at LSU in 1952 followed by her residency in pediatrics at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, TX (1952 – 1953) and Children’s Medical Center (1953 – 1955). Later in life, she completed her Ph.D. and three-year residency in psychiatry at Southwestern Medical School.

Billie was married to Dwight H. McAnally in 1955 for 63 years. Dwight preceded her in death in 2019. She and Dwight had two wonderful daughters, Linda McAnally Miller of Midland, TX and Ginger McAnally Morgan of San Marcos, TX. She is also survived by her granddaughters Stephanie Miller Collum and Laura Jean Stanley. She has three great-grandchildren, Katie, Carrie and Koy Stanley. Her grandson, Jamie Dwight Miller, preceded her in death as did her great-grandson, Cole Stanley. Additionally, she has two great-great-grandchildren. Billie also had two sisters, “Sis” (Gwyn Harwell, deceased) and Bonnie Adcock.

She and Dwight retired in 1996 to Corrales, NM (a small artistic village on the outskirts of Albuquerque) where they spent the next 20 years exploring their artistic endeavors and enjoying the American Southwest culture. They traveled to many parts of the world together.

Over her life, Billie learned and played several musical instruments including the French horn, Indian drum and Celtic harp. Billie played the harp for pre-schoolers and hospice patients. She was also an accomplished visual and fiber artist including watercolor, pastel, needlepoint, and weaving. Billie was an avid gardener and voracious reader.

Billie moved back to Dallas to be near her youngest daughter, Ginger, and then moved with her to New Braunfels after Dwight died. She was able to spend her final year in Midland with Linda and Stephanie.

Billie’s religious legacy, in the words of Bart Ehrman, “Love this life as much as we can for as long as we can, to enjoy I to the utmost as far as possible, and to help others do the same. If all of us do that, we will live on after death – not so a personal consciousness as our brains have died, but in the lives of those we have touched.” From the Bible, her beliefs include God is Love, let us love one another, and do unto others as you would have them do unto you.

This is thy hour O’Soul, thy free flight into the wordless.

Away from books, away from art, the day erased the lesson done.

Thee fully forth emerging, silent, gazing, pondering the themes thou lovest best.

Night, sleep, death and the stars.

-Walt Whitman

Remember Me, by Billie McAnally

I will be dying soon.

I don’t want to die.

I want to rage, rage at the close of day.

I don’t want to leave you. Yet, I will be free of the pain, worries and depression.

Remember me when you see the butterflies flying around, especially the monarchs.

Remember me when you hear the mockingbird sing his many songs.

Remember me when you see the mountains and all of the wonderful world.

Remember me and laugh when you look at my star and know that I am laughing, too.

I love all of you so much.

“My love will always be with you – in that way, I am still alive. When you see butterflies flying around, know that I am there.” – Billie McAnally

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I love and miss you, Mom.

For the memories we shared with Billie and Dwight - Love Jean and John Harwell

I enjoyed chats with Billie while dog walking when she and Dwight lived on Cypress Hills Dr in Dallas TX. She was always good for an engaging and thought provoking conversation. I also had a number of conversations with Dwight inside their house. She was in the same class at LSU Medical School as a cousin of mine. She remembered him and showed me a group picture with her and him in it. From about 1948 to 1952 my family lived in New Orleans so Bilie and I lived in two different places at the same times. We moved from New Orleans to Dallas in 1952 which must have been when Billie did.

As I gather pictures of congregants that have died in the last year for our All Soul's day service, I realized I did not leave a tribute to Billie. I loved and admired Billie. Not only for her accomplishments in life as a physician who cared for countless children, but for her loving and caring heart that impacted all who met her. I enjoyed every conversation I had with Billie, in person and on the phone. She always had such appreciation for a call or visit, when the pleasure belonged to the person calling or visiting! Billie and Dwight both made an impression on my heart that will remain. I know all of her family still misses her, and I hold them in my thoughts. Thank you Billie, for the gift of you in my life! Jean Ann Powers

In memory of an extraordinary woman. She was compassionate and caring, and I will always appreciate all that she did for me. Wishing you all peace --

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Billie McAnally . Plant a Tree

Peace of mind is a call away. We’re here when you need us most.

So sorry to hear of Dr. Billie's passing. She lived a good long and happy life! She was very good to me!

What a wonderful poem that Billie has left for us. With Billie's passing, an important chapter in my life is over because Billie and Dwight were my first and most important connection with the village of Corrales before, and for some time after, moving here. I have to thank my good friend (their daughter) Ginger for that; Ginger can tell you the amazing coincidence that happened in my office in Dallas in 2006 - when I told her that I had just purchased a lot in a little village in New Mexico Ginger asked "where in New Mexico"? I replied that she wouldn't have ever heard of it - Corrales. And she then asked which street my lot was on. And then she calmly told me that her parents lived just two blocks away! Billie, you will be missed, along with Dwight, forever in my heart. You were both such gentle souls. Love, Dennis

I miss you, Billie. My sincere sympathy to your family for their loss.

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Billie McAnally . Plant a Tree

Thinking of you - Ginger, Linda and Stephanie - at this sad time. My friend Billie will always be in my heart.

A memorial tree was planted in memory of Billie McAnally . Plant a Tree

Jean and I wish to express our deep sorrow at Billie's passing. We will always have very fond memories of her and Dwight. I felt they were always very wonderful aunt and uncle to me throughout my life. As it happens, almost exactly 20 years ago Dwight and Billie visited Jean and I in Lausanne Switzerland and we took them to Gruyere castle. We have very sweet memories of those moments. The last quote in her obituary is very similar to something Papa Hargis told me many long years ago when I asked him if he believed in eternal life or an afterlife. He said to me "The way we reach eternal life is to make an imprint on the lives of those around us". Billie has absolutely done this with Jean and I.
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