Jane Elizabeth Womack

1/18/1934 - 9/23/2024 Jane Elizabeth Womack was born on January 18th, 1934, in Cisco, Texas as the second daughter of Smith Alexander (Smitty) Huestis and Eulala Leone (Lala) McCanlies Huestis. She left us on September 23rd, 2024, in Lubbock, Texas at the age of 90. She was preceded in death by her parents, her husband Robert Guy (Bobby) Womack, and her sister Dorothy (Dot) Anderson and husband, Ray Anderson. Jane is survived by her three daughters, Jane Ann (Janie) Womack of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania; Mary Margaret Davis and husband Grant of Fort Worth, Texas; and Martha Womack and wife Cindy Diekema of Pomona, California. She is also survived by her nephew Steve Anderson and wife Phyllis and family of Tulsa, Oklahoma; sister-in-law Gladeene Lee and her children Lisa Taylor, husband Jeff and family and Bruce Lee and family, all of Fort Worth, Texas; cousin Guy Gamble and wife Lesa and family, and cousins Steve Coleman of Fort Worth, Texas and Sarah Coleman Shallcross, also of Fort Worth. Jane's parents were both from very large families, and there are many other relatives as well. Jane grew up in Cisco, Texas. She graduated from Cisco High School, then attended Cisco Junior College. She attended McMurry University in Abilene for a time and then transferred to Hardin Simmons University in Abilene, where she graduated with a bachelor's degree in music studies. Jane was an exceptional musician from very early in life. She began playing piano at age three, and by the time she was five she had quite a repertoire of songs that she could both play and sing even at that early age. She had a breathtakingly beautiful soprano voice. Jane was able to play by ear, but she also was well-versed in the technical side of performance. She would often sit down with a piece of music and transpose it in her head as she played. When she memorized a piece of music, she actually "saw it" in her head. So even though she was never tested, it's likely that she had an eidetic memory. Jane's first job was as organist at Cisco Methodist Church at the age of 13. While attending Cisco Junior College, she accompanied many soloists as well performing solos herself and being a part of several break-out groups, including the CJC Madrigal Singers and Beauty Shop Quartet. She continued to perform and accompanied other musicians throughout her college career. At Hardin Simmons, she sang in the A Capella Choir and accompanied the Men's Choir. She participated in student operas as well. When Jane played with the student orchestra, she would play scales on the timpani along with the rest of the orchestra when they were warming up. During her college years, she served as organist for First Methodist Church in Abilene. She was an accomplished organist and was able to play very intricate melodies on the pedalboard, which is quite unusual. While at Cisco Junior College she met her husband Bob, and they were married in August of 1955. After they graduated from Hardin Simmons, they moved to Snyder where they had teaching positions waiting. They joined First United Methodist Church in Snyder, and Jane was hired as organist for the church. Jane taught music in the public school system until the birth of her first daughter changed her focus. She and Bob subsequently had two more daughters, and all three inherited her musical talent as well as their father's athletic ability. Jane and the three girls started performing together when the girls were small, singing 3-part harmony for many events at the Martha Anns Women's Club in Snyder. Jane accompanied several Snyder High School musicals by playing the piano/organ scores, and she worked for a time as a substitute music teacher in the Snyder School District. In 1974, Jane was employed as a music instructor at Western Texas College in Snyder. She taught private voice and piano, group piano and music theory, and served as the choral director for the WTC Choir. In time, she gained associate professor status and concentrated primarily on private instruction. Jane began striving toward a new goal in her 50's - to acquire her master's degree in piano. This necessitated many hours of travel between Snyder and Lubbock to attend Texas Tech. Bob and Jane eventually decided a move to Lubbock would simplify life. Shortly after their move, Jane was hired as pianist/organist for Lakeridge United Methodist Church, where she continued to serve until 2012. Continuing her post graduate studies at Tech, she was honored to study under Steven Michael Glaser, renowned concert pianist and currently Professor of Piano at Ohio State University. We were told that Professor Glaser stated "No one plays Beethoven like Jane." Professor Glaser, being from New York, enjoyed learning many of the local colloquialisms, such as "Boy Howdy" and really enjoyed working with her while she attended Tech. Jane completed her studies in 1993 and earned her master's degree in Piano Performance at the age of 60. After her graduation, Jane was asked to perform as guest artist at a concert with the Texas Lutheran College Band. She thrilled the audience with Grieg's Piano Concerto in A minor, as well as singing a resounding medley of patriotic songs. Jane continued to teach private piano and voice lessons for several years and performed for different events for social clubs with Bob playing "roadie" for her. Jane directed her musical talents to the church, because she steadfastly believed in her calling to serve God through her music. She lovingly served the Methodist Church for sixty-five years. She and Bob had hundreds of friends; as anyone who knew her would say, Jane "never met a stranger." She had quite a sense of humor, and Bob was her "straight man." Even after she could no longer live at home, she kept the staff at her facility on their toes with her one-liners. Jane and Bob traveled frequently to New Mexico and Colorado with their four-wheeler in tow in their later years. They spent hours traversing mountain paths and enjoying the breathtaking scenery. They also took a trip to Europe in their later years and shared many memories of this trip with us all. Together, they lived a long legacy together of love and commitment. A memorial service will be held for Jane on May 17th, 2025 at 2:00 p.m. at Sanders Funeral Home in Lubbock, Texas. Information about the services can be found on their website,d www.sandersfuneralhome.com. In lieu of flowers, the family suggests memorials be made to Dementia Society of America, www.dementiasociety.org/donate.

Jane Elizabeth Womack

January 18, 1934 - September 23, 2024