EMILY FRANCES BEALL BONE, 88, gently passed away on Saturday, July 1, 2023, following a lengthy illness. Born on July 31, 1934 in Lubbock, Texas to L. Hollis and Kathrine Dickinson Powell Beall, Emily is survived by her beloved sister and partner-in-time, Julia Kathrine Beall Crowder; her five children: Beth (Jim) Barrette, John (Amy) Bone, Hollis (Lisa) Bone, Robert (Davalyn) Bone, and Stephen Bone; her grandchildren: Chris (Gabriela), Michael (Mari), Bailey, Lindsey, Madeline, Lauren, Julia, Will, Audrey, and great-granddaughters, Felicity, Ivy, and Sophia; her nieces, nephews, and many cherished cousins and friends. Within months of her birth, the family moved to Houston. Emily grew up in Houston's Montrose neighborhood and attended Montrose Elementary and Lanier Junior High schools. Weekends and summers were often spent on the family's East Texas farm and her experiences there gave rise to her gift for organizing, cataloging, and cultivating anything under her careful watch. After the family's move to Crockett, Texas in the summer of 1949, she attended Crockett High School and was the salutatorian of the class of 1952. After graduation, she attended The University of Texas at Austin and made the campus her own. She was named both a University Goodfellow (1955) and Outstanding Student (1956), served as President of the Texas Union and the Orange Jackets honor service organization, and received her Bachelor of Business Administration degree in 1956. She counted her time in the Christian Faith and Life Community there as pivotal to her spiritual formation and foundation. Upon graduation, Emily married and built a family devoted to education, community, and church endeavors. She worked tirelessly to ensure her husband and children achieved the necessary academic benchmarks needed to prepare them for their chosen professions.
Emily was a Texas girl in every respect, living in Lubbock, Crockett, Austin, Galveston, and Houston. Loyal to her core, she cherished and nourished lifelong friendships. She had a unique gift for comforting those in need; if life threw a high and tight fastball, Emily was there to help the knocked-down players up, dust them off, and guide them back to the batter's box. Her childhood experience as a Girl Scout inspired her to see to it that her children completed scouting journeys of their own; she was especially proud of her daughter's Gold Star and her four sons' Eagle Scout awards. Emily was a fixture at her children's schools, enriching the education environments therein as a room mother; Great Books lecturer; newsletter author and publisher for Shadow Oaks Elementary, Memorial Drive Elementary, Spring Branch Junior High, and Memorial Senior High schools; and sports/band booster clubs member par excellence. She returned to school herself to prepare for and earn her Certified Public Accountant license which she used to open her own successful tax accountancy practice. She faithfully served her clients until retiring in 2018.
Emily was a dedicated Methodist through and through. Affectionately dubbed "Mama Bone" by many Chapelwood youth members, she poured her mind, heart, and soul into her churchwork, serving as Chapelwood's official historian/archivist, Wesley Choir mother, librarian, and choir camp counselor. She sang in the Second Soprano section of the church's adult Chancel Choir for over fifty years. Emily had a particular love for animals and nature and intimately connected with both, notably becoming an accomplished beekeeper, birding enthusiast, and passionate wildlife care advocate. Emily loved to travel with her family and particularly enjoyed her Frio river retreats to Concan, Texas, and her European Chancel Choir concert tours. Throughout her life, she created spectacular special occasions from themed birthday parties to fascinating field trips. She had a long-held love for watching Houston Astros baseball and any sport involving The University of Texas Longhorns; for enjoying plays, musicals, and classic movies; and for supporting any event in which her family members participated. Her children's and grandchildren's biggest fan, she filled countless albums with family photographs and took her role as family archivist and historian deeply to heart. She was an expert clothing and interior designer, an innovative chef, and a consummate gardener; her enthusiasm for these pursuits sparked passions for them in her children as well.
Emily's example taught friends and family the arts of unselfish caregiving and the value of doing one's best at every turn. Her creativity and unwavering commitment to family life served as an inspirational model to all who knew her. Her celebration of life will be held in the sanctuary of Chapelwood United Methodist Church, 11140 Greenbay Street, Houston, Texas, on October 13, 2023 at 11:00 a.m. In lieu of customary remembrances, donations honoring Emily's memory may be made to Chapelwood UMC Foundation Education Fund, Chapelwood UMC Choral Program, Boy Scouts of America, Girl Scouts of America, or the Houston Arboretum.