Lou Evelyn Lee was born November 6, 1933, in Brownwood, Texas, to Herbert Jasper and Dora Ester Lee. She graduated from Brownwood High School, where she sang in the choir and did public speaking. She married Dr. John Lynn Humphrey of Bangs, Texas in September 1952.
Lou and Dr. John moved often as he served in the Air Force, completed his education, and started practicing medicine. They lived in Biloxi, Mississippi and Albuquerque, New Mexico, then moved around Texas, living in Dallas, Galveston, Austin, and Friona, before returning home to Brownwood in 1967. In Brownwood, Lou worked tirelessly to run the business office for his medical practice for more than three decades.
Lou cherished her family and friends. She was a beloved mother and grandmother, and she nurtured many friendships in the Brownwood community and beyond through the decades. All who met her were inspired by her kindness, wit, energy, and enthusiasm.
Lou pursued her love of sewing for most of her life, creating stylish and practical clothes for herself, family, and friends. She was often in the middle of multiple ambitious sewing projects. She also loved to read and for many years enthusiastically attended and presented book reviews as a member of the Junior 20th Century Club. She played bridge as a member of several different clubs through the years, and she delighted in hosting bridge gatherings in her home. She was also generous with her time for other organizations, including the Brown County Youth Fair, where she helped with the Style Show, and the Texas Medical Association Alliance, for which she served as a director.
Lou was preceded in death by John, her dear husband of 67 years, and by her sister Bernece. She is survived by her sister Henrietta Reed and husband Cordell of Sidney; her daughter Dodie Brown and husband Paul of Duluth, Minnesota, and their children, Wade Hampton of Austin, Emmett Hampton of Austin, and Joshua Brown of Fayetteville, Arkansas; her son Lee Jack Humphrey and wife Allison and their children, Charlotte (10) and Leo (6), of Austin; and nieces and nephews Carrolyn Pinson, Adron Fisher, James Reed, Theresa Roop, and Judy Zepeda.
The family wishes to thank and honor Virene Jackson, Lou’s longtime housekeeper, helper, and friend. They also thank the kind and caring staff of Belmont Village in West Lake Hills.
Funeral services for Lou will be held at 2:00 PM, Wednesday, February 8, 2023, in the Heartland Funeral Home Chapel. Burial will follow in the Bangs Cemetery. The family will receive friends at the funeral home on Tuesday evening from 6:00 until 8:00.
Memorials may be made to the Brownwood Public Library Endowment Fund (brownwoodlibrary.com/endowment.html) to commemorate Lou’s love of reading.
Condolences, memories, and tributes can be offered to the Humphrey family online at heartlandfuneralhome.com