Shy Marie Milner Hicks was born May 11, 1948 in Brownwood, TX, and passed away on November 19, 2021 in San Antonio, TX. She was the only daughter of Murray Milner Sr. and Mary Brownfield Milner and was the adored baby sister of her two older brothers, Murray Milner Jr. and Larry Milner. Shy graduated from Brownwood High School in 1966 and earned a BBA in Accounting from the University of Houston, and then began a rewarding 35-year career, first in banking in Houston and Brownwood and later in financial administration with the University of Virginia. She retired from UVA in 2014.
Shy sought peace and beauty in the world and found it in relationships with her family and dear friends, in the mountains of Virginia while hiking, and in caring for animals and birds. She was a devoted mother and grandmother and treasured this role in life most of all. She will be lovingly remembered by her family and many friends for the strength, grace, and kindness she exhibited throughout her life.
For the last 8 years of her life, Shy suffered from a rare form of early-onset dementia called Frontotemporal Degeneration, a neurodegenerative disease, which prevented her from enjoying her retirement years as she had planned. Even so, she maintained her kind and gentle nature throughout her remaining years.
Shy was preceded in death by her parents, Murray and Mary Milner, by her brothers, Murray Milner Jr. and Larry Milner, and by her niece, Laura Milner Traylor.
She is survived by her daughter, Stacey Hicks Jones and husband Troy Jones of San Antonio, and by her beloved grandsons, Evan Jones of Austin, and Eric Jones of Houston. She is also survived by her dear sisters-in-law, Sylvia Milner and Suzanne Milner, and by nieces Helene Milner (Boyd Brown), Catherine Milner, Pollyanna Conover (Greg Conover), and Bonnie Buck (Scooter Buck), and nephew Chris Traylor, as well as several great-nieces and great-nephews.
Friends who would like to honor Shy’s memory are encouraged to make a contribution to their local no-kill animal shelter or to the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (theaftd.org).