Sammye C. MORROW

MORROW, Sammye C.
Born March 16, 1924 in Moody, TX to Roy E. and Lora Caruthers, passed away on January 20, 2013. She lived her life on her own terms right to the end. Sammye lost her husband, the love of her life, seven years ago, also in January. After 60 years of marriage it was not easy building a new life without him. She is survived by four children, Kyle (Alfredo) Villegas of Sacramento, Blair (Karen) Morrow of Houston, TX, Blythe (David) Lehmann of Granite Bay and Reed Morrow of West Hollywood and five grandchildren, Damian, Stefan (Rachael) Villegas, Chelsea Villegas and DaNae and Brett Gavaza. She was also 'Grandma Sam' to 3 great-grandchildren, Ace and Avery Villegas and Shelby Gavaza. Sammye graduated from Moody High School in 1941, having been a cheerleader and volleyball player for 3 years. She went on to have a successful career as first a secretary, then after marrying Len and moving to California, a homemaker with an incredible flair as a hostess. An artist who painted as a hobby, she was an inspiration to all who knew her. For her 'second act', she found her niche as an office manager for an ophthalmologist. She didn't want to retire and missed the 'office' the rest of her life. She had a knack for making all her children and grandchildren feel special, and she would do anything for them-dog sitting, airport pick-ups, horse shows, house sitting. She always had a dog of her own that was part of the family and kept her walking and active to the end. Sammye always took care to look her best and we teased her about the time it took her to get ready but we will miss her beauty and class. The last few weeks were extraordinarily difficult and we couldn't have done it without the help of Sammye's primary hospice caregiver, her granddaughter, DaNae with the support of Mercy Hospice. A memorial service will be held on Saturday, January 26, at 1:00 pm at St. Mary's Episcopal Church, 9085 Calvine Road, Sacramento, with a reception following at the Villega's home in Elk Grove. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to St. Mary's Episcopal Church or the SPCA in her memory.