Linda Lee Worsham Davis passed into another life on September 24, 2007, after a valiant struggle against a rare form of multiple myeloma. Born to Dr. John W. and Dorothy Clark Worsham in Waco, Texas, July 20, 1944, she was joyfully welcomed to the world by her older brother John Worsham, Jr.
The family moved from one Air Force Base to another throughout WW II, ending the war at Randolph Field in San Antonio. Though her adventures sometimes took her to other parts of the country, San Antonio remained “home” for the rest of her life. She lived in her childhood home in Olmos Park off and on for almost 50 years, only leaving it for her and husband Charles’ new “dream home” in 2002. As a youth, she was on the Alamo Heights swimming and diving team. Recent Alamo Heights ventures include serving as Executive Director of the Alamo Heights School Foundation and training at the Alamo Heights Citizens Police Academy.
Her educational experiences included St. Mary’s Hall and Alamo Heights Class of 1963. She attended Greenbrier Junior College in Lewisburg, West Virginia, the American School in Lugano, Switzerland and the Instituto Allende in Mexico, before returning to attend TCU, which was cofounded by her great-grandfather Randolph Clark. It was at TCU she began her lifetime of involvement with Kappa Kappa Gamma, including the presidencies of Kappa Alumnae in Ogden, Utah, and in San Antonio.
Both her parents set high standards for service to one’s community. Her Virginia-born father was instrumental in building the first hospital in Kenedy, Texas, in 1935. It was the sole hospital in Karnes County for forty years. He was also one of the original founders of Planned Parenthood in San Antonio. Linda Lee’s mother’s family, the Clarks, had arrived in Texas in 1839, and were instrumental in founding TCU in Fort Worth, Midwestern University in Wichita Falls and several Junior Colleges in the state.
Linda Lee’s uncle, R. Lee Clark, Jr., was the visionary who brought M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston into international prominence, starting in 1946. Her aunt, Leoti Clark Deaton, directed training for the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS) during WWII. Following these exceptional examples of service and leadership, Linda Lee lived up to the family heritage – achieving leadership positions in a wide array of organizations in San Antonio and beyond, virtually all of which served to enhance this city she loved so much. Her multitude of talents, extraordinary mind and peerless social acumen made her unique in her ability to accomplish seemingly more-than-human goals.
Linda Lee’s concern for the most basic needs, health and welfare of others is evident in her choice of service arenas. She worked as a Wellness Project Manager and as the Health Education Coordinator for Senior Programs for PacifiCare of Texas. She was Director of both the Foster Grandparent and the Retired Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP) in San Antonio. She founded Senior Fiesta for senior citizens. Two First Ladies, Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush, invited her to the White House to honor her for her work with seniors. Linda Lee always worked for those most vulnerable in our community – helping them to retain their dignity, their quality of life, their independence.
As a Community Outreach Consultant, she coordinated Jefferson Area Cooperative elderly in-home assistance. She helped Morningside Ministries open Chandler Memorial Nursing Home and developed their first activities program. While in Hawaii, during her first marriage to Gary C. McMahon of Houston, she was activities director of a convalescent center, primarily serving Buddhists, in Honolulu.
Later, during the Vietnam War, she worked with the San Antonio Chapter of the American Red Cross assisting military families. While Director of Development and Public Relations at Goodwill Industries she founded the Goodwill Fiesta Fair, the only official Fiesta event specifically for people with disabilities. She served as Vice President of Development for Warm Springs Rehabilitation Foundation, where she oversaw the birth of a high-tech Resource Center specifically designed for those with disabilities.
Other organizations that benefited from her inspirational ideas and commitment to excellence include the Kidney Foundation and Lighthouse for the Blind. Her volunteer service included serving on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of San Antonio (though she was not Catholic); the OASIS (Older Adult Services & Information System) Advisory Council; and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation SA Board of Directors. She co-founded the San Antonio Gray Panthers in 1977.
Linda Lee was honored by numerous organizations, which recognized her remarkable creativity, drive and dedication, including United Way (PACE Award), San Antonio Light (Sunday Woman Award), Fiesta Commission (Order of the Cascaron), Association for Women in Communications (Headliner Award) and Mind Science Foundation (Imagineer Award Finalist). Her community and state leadership roles include serving on the Board of Directors of Downtown Rotary, San Antonio; Advisory Council Member of UTSA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Alamo Senior Advisory Committee member of Alamo Area Council of Governments; Texas State Association of Foster Grandparents, Texas and National Legislative Representative; Texas State Citizens Advisory Council for the Texas Board on Aging, Texas Dept. on Aging; and many others. National service included the National Society of Fund Raising Executives; National Association of Retired Senior Volunteer Directors; the Southwest Society on Aging; and national committee member of the Association for Women in Communications.
Her contributions to San Antonio’s cultural riches were legion. She was Vice President of the Military Civilian Club and Military Ambassador’s Sponsor for Fiesta in 2004-2005. She served on the Art League Board of Directors; on both the McNay Art Museum’s Trustee Board and its Friends of McNay Board, including as its president; on the Symphony League Board of Directors; and many others. She was President and Vice President of the Pan-Hellenic Association of San Antonio, a member of SA 100 and a long-time member of the San Antonio Country Club.
She married Charles Davis, Jr., in 1982. They were together until his death over twenty years later. Through this union she enjoyed another welcoming family, including Charles’ sister, Peggy Colglazier, her husband John and their children John, Jr. and Elizabeth, and their families. Survivors include her adoring “much older” brother, as she liked to call him, Dr. John W. Worsham, Jr., and his wife Helen of San Antonio; nephew John W. Worsham III, his wife Jennifer and their children, Louella and Ira, all of Austin; and the Colglazier family – sister-in-law Peggy Davis Colglazier and husband John A. Colglazier; nephew John A. Colglazier, Jr., and wife Jennifer; niece Elizabeth Colglazier Boddy and husband Cooper; great nieces Lily Boddy, Hattie Colglazier and Daisy Boddy; and great nephew John Albert Colglazier II. Her extended family includes Lillian Gibson, Larry and Larson Estefan and many cousins throughout the state and her godchildren Kimberly Ploetz and Laura Lee Drew.
Though her accomplishments were seemingly enough for two lifetimes, Linda Lee always had time for her friends. Her kindness and thoughtfulness were legendary. She truly had the gift of friendship and her many friends just loved her back. Linda Lee's beloved friends have been with her and helped her through some very difficult times, but – more often and with great enthusiasm - through marvelous adventures.
Her family is especially grateful for the steadfast support provided by her many extraordinary friends during recent months. Her family is also grateful for the excellent medical treatment she received from her dedicated doctors and their staffs and for the care provided by the nursing staff at North East Baptist Hospital ICU and Vistas Hospice of San Antonio.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Alamo Heights School Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, the McNay Art Museum, the Rotary Club of S.A. Foundation or a charity of your choice.
Charles "Hop" Fuhrmann
Linda Lee Worsham Davis passed into another life on September 24, 2007, after a valiant struggle against a rare form of multiple myeloma. Born to Dr. John W. and Dorothy Clark Worsham in Waco, Texas, July 20, 1944, she was joyfully welcomed to the world by her older brother John Worsham, Jr.
The family moved from one Air Force Base to another throughout WW II, ending the war at Randolph Field in San Antonio. Though her adventures sometimes took her to other parts of the country, San Antonio remained “home” for the rest of her life. She lived in her childhood home in Olmos Park off and on for almost 50 years, only leaving it for her and husband Charles’ new “dream home” in 2002. As a youth, she was on the Alamo Heights swimming and diving team. Recent Alamo Heights ventures include serving as Executive Director of the Alamo Heights School Foundation and training at the Alamo Heights Citizens Police Academy.
Her educational experiences included St. Mary’s Hall and Alamo Heights Class of 1963. She attended Greenbrier Junior College in Lewisburg, West Virginia, the American School in Lugano, Switzerland and the Instituto Allende in Mexico, before returning to attend TCU, which was cofounded by her great-grandfather Randolph Clark. It was at TCU she began her lifetime of involvement with Kappa Kappa Gamma, including the presidencies of Kappa Alumnae in Ogden, Utah, and in San Antonio.
Both her parents set high standards for service to one’s community. Her Virginia-born father was instrumental in building the first hospital in Kenedy, Texas, in 1935. It was the sole hospital in Karnes County for forty years. He was also one of the original founders of Planned Parenthood in San Antonio. Linda Lee’s mother’s family, the Clarks, had arrived in Texas in 1839, and were instrumental in founding TCU in Fort Worth, Midwestern University in Wichita Falls and several Junior Colleges in the state.
Linda Lee’s uncle, R. Lee Clark, Jr., was the visionary who brought M.D. Anderson Hospital in Houston into international prominence, starting in 1946. Her aunt, Leoti Clark Deaton, directed training for the Women’s Air Force Service Pilots (WASPS) during WWII. Following these exceptional examples of service and leadership, Linda Lee lived up to the family heritage – achieving leadership positions in a wide array of organizations in San Antonio and beyond, virtually all of which served to enhance this city she loved so much. Her multitude of talents, extraordinary mind and peerless social acumen made her unique in her ability to accomplish seemingly more-than-human goals.
Linda Lee’s concern for the most basic needs, health and welfare of others is evident in her choice of service arenas. She worked as a Wellness Project Manager and as the Health Education Coordinator for Senior Programs for PacifiCare of Texas. She was Director of both the Foster Grandparent and the Retired Senior Volunteer Programs (RSVP) in San Antonio. She founded Senior Fiesta for senior citizens. Two First Ladies, Nancy Reagan and Barbara Bush, invited her to the White House to honor her for her work with seniors. Linda Lee always worked for those most vulnerable in our community – helping them to retain their dignity, their quality of life, their independence.
As a Community Outreach Consultant, she coordinated Jefferson Area Cooperative elderly in-home assistance. She helped Morningside Ministries open Chandler Memorial Nursing Home and developed their first activities program. While in Hawaii, during her first marriage to Gary C. McMahon of Houston, she was activities director of a convalescent center, primarily serving Buddhists, in Honolulu.
Later, during the Vietnam War, she worked with the San Antonio Chapter of the American Red Cross assisting military families. While Director of Development and Public Relations at Goodwill Industries she founded the Goodwill Fiesta Fair, the only official Fiesta event specifically for people with disabilities. She served as Vice President of Development for Warm Springs Rehabilitation Foundation, where she oversaw the birth of a high-tech Resource Center specifically designed for those with disabilities.
Other organizations that benefited from her inspirational ideas and commitment to excellence include the Kidney Foundation and Lighthouse for the Blind. Her volunteer service included serving on the Board of Directors of Catholic Charities for the Archdiocese of San Antonio (though she was not Catholic); the OASIS (Older Adult Services & Information System) Advisory Council; and the Juvenile Diabetes Foundation SA Board of Directors. She co-founded the San Antonio Gray Panthers in 1977.
Linda Lee was honored by numerous organizations, which recognized her remarkable creativity, drive and dedication, including United Way (PACE Award), San Antonio Light (Sunday Woman Award), Fiesta Commission (Order of the Cascaron), Association for Women in Communications (Headliner Award) and Mind Science Foundation (Imagineer Award Finalist). Her community and state leadership roles include serving on the Board of Directors of Downtown Rotary, San Antonio; Advisory Council Member of UTSA College of Social and Behavioral Sciences; Alamo Senior Advisory Committee member of Alamo Area Council of Governments; Texas State Association of Foster Grandparents, Texas and National Legislative Representative; Texas State Citizens Advisory Council for the Texas Board on Aging, Texas Dept. on Aging; and many others. National service included the National Society of Fund Raising Executives; National Association of Retired Senior Volunteer Directors; the Southwest Society on Aging; and national committee member of the Association for Women in Communications.
Her contributions to San Antonio’s cultural riches were legion. She was Vice President of the Military Civilian Club and Military Ambassador’s Sponsor for Fiesta in 2004-2005. She served on the Art League Board of Directors; on both the McNay Art Museum’s Trustee Board and its Friends of McNay Board, including as its president; on the Symphony League Board of Directors; and many others. She was President and Vice President of the Pan-Hellenic Association of San Antonio, a member of SA 100 and a long-time member of the San Antonio Country Club.
She married Charles Davis, Jr., in 1982. They were together until his death over twenty years later. Through this union she enjoyed another welcoming family, including Charles’ sister, Peggy Colglazier, her husband John and their children John, Jr. and Elizabeth, and their families. Survivors include her adoring “much older” brother, as she liked to call him, Dr. John W. Worsham, Jr., and his wife Helen of San Antonio; nephew John W. Worsham III, his wife Jennifer and their children, Louella and Ira, all of Austin; and the Colglazier family – sister-in-law Peggy Davis Colglazier and husband John A. Colglazier; nephew John A. Colglazier, Jr., and wife Jennifer; niece Elizabeth Colglazier Boddy and husband Cooper; great nieces Lily Boddy, Hattie Colglazier and Daisy Boddy; and great nephew John Albert Colglazier II. Her extended family includes Lillian Gibson, Larry and Larson Estefan and many cousins throughout the state and her godchildren Kimberly Ploetz and Laura Lee Drew.
Though her accomplishments were seemingly enough for two lifetimes, Linda Lee always had time for her friends. Her kindness and thoughtfulness were legendary. She truly had the gift of friendship and her many friends just loved her back. Linda Lee's beloved friends have been with her and helped her through some very difficult times, but – more often and with great enthusiasm - through marvelous adventures.
Her family is especially grateful for the steadfast support provided by her many extraordinary friends during recent months. Her family is also grateful for the excellent medical treatment she received from her dedicated doctors and their staffs and for the care provided by the nursing staff at North East Baptist Hospital ICU and Vistas Hospice of San Antonio.
Memorial gifts may be made to the Alamo Heights School Foundation, the Nature Conservancy, the McNay Art Museum, the Rotary Club of S.A. Foundation or a charity of your choice.