Jacqueline Dubois McHorris

1939 - 2024

With a heavy heart, the Friends and Family of Jackie McHorris share the news of her death on July 3rd after a long illness.

Jacqueline Jewell Dubois McHorris was born September 13, 1939 in Lafayette, Louisiana to Adelaide (Idelle) and Phillip Dubois.

She attended Cathedral-Carmel School and Lafayette High School before enrolling at the University of Louisiana at Lafayette. Majoring in English, she was captain of the debate team that won the Louisiana state championship, honing a skillset she effectively wielded her entire adult life.

At ULL, she met William Henry McHorris II whose prowess on the dance floor as well as the basketball court sealed her fate to become "Jacqueline, Bill's Queen" and they married September 3, 1960.

She and Bill moved to Memphis after graduation where Bill studied dentistry at UT and she taught Civics and English in 3 different local parochial schools. After their 2 children were born, her entrepreneurial spirit led her to run different businesses while raising her family. Floral delivery led to teaching Cajun cooking classes, finally settling into Carvans Ltd, an antique business built around her passion for fine rugs, textiles, and French and English antiques. Happily, Caravans also provided Jackie with an excuse to go on biannual buying trips to the bustling antique markets of England and France as well as, of course, her beloved Paris.

Her knowledge and appreciation of antiques and history dovetailed perfectly during her service on the board of directors for the Decorative Arts Trust of the Memphis Brooks Museum of Art.

Jackie was heavily involved in local Democratic politics and spent many years volunteering at various campaign headquarters and polling stations. In support of the cause, Jackie was not above employing familial child labor to lick stamps.

She was most fortunate to have a formidable posse of loving friends who celebrated each other well beyond birthdays, cocktails, and bridge. The much ballyhooed Guild of St. Imelda for example, valued footwear with an inordinate fervor and decreed that "She who dies with the most shoes wins." We are still counting.

Jackie is survived by her children, William Henry McHorris III (Kim), Collyn McHorris Wainwright, (Andy), Grandchildren Dani Wainwright, Olivia McHorris, Julian Wainwright, and brother Michael Dubois (Marla). She was preceded in death by her sister Cynthia Dubois Casey, and her husband of 61 years Bill McHorris.

Dear reader, please forgive any inaccuracies found above, bearing in mind one of Jackie's favorite adages "NEVER let the truth get in the way of a good story."

The family asks that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to Planned Parenthood or any other fine leftist causes close to your heart. The West Cancer Foundation would also welcome memoriams in her name.