Willa Dunnagan

Willa Mitchell Dunnagan died on Friday, September 4th in Spring, Texas, after a long illness. She was 89 years old. Willa was the daughter of Dr. Abbott Blunt Mitchell and Edith Hodges Mitchell. She was born in Hector, Minnesota, and spent most of her early life in Allegan and East Lansing, Michigan, where her father practiced medicine. Willa often shared fond childhood memories of yearly train trips to visit her maternal grandfather in Weston, Colorado. He was the sheriff (and the bartender), and his colorful and adventurous life instilled in her a lifelong love of the American west. Willa met William Andrew Dunnagan on the campus of Michigan State University, where she was a student and where he was stationed as an Air Force pilot toward the end of World War II. Bill and Willa fell in love and were married on August 27th, 1945. They moved back to his home-state of North Carolina where he began his medical training at the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. Bill practiced Radiology in Amarillo, Texas for many years, kept his pilot’s license “current,” and loved to ski and play golf. Willa joined him in his pursuits, and also found time to complete both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in English Literature. She was an English professor at West Texas State University. Willa was an accomplished pianist, a terrific bridge player, a master at crossword puzzles, a needleworker and an avid reader. Always the professor, Willa was beloved in the family for her curiosity on all subjects and famous for encouraging her chil-dren and grandchildren to “Look it up!” Bill and Willa raised four children in Amarillo, and all grad-uated from Tascosa High School. Willa and Bill retired to Lake LBJ, and spent twenty-five happy years there, with lots of visits from family and friends. They found time to boat, swim, golf, travel and appreciate the beauty of the Texas Hill Country. Willa is survived by her four children and their spouses, Carolyn Fletcher and her husband John of Wellesley, MA, Charles and his wife Laurie of Anchorage, Alaska, William and his wife Diane of Spring, TX, and Steven and his wife Kim, of Little Rock, Arkansas. Willa is also survived by nine grandchildren and seven great-grandchildren, two sisters and a brother. A memorial service and celebration of Willa’s life is planned at a later date. Donations in Willa’s memory may be made to an Alzheimer’s research organization of your choice.

Willa Dunnagan

September 4, 2015