Eustacia Gardner "Stacy" Omer

OMER, EUSTACIA "STACY" GARDNER, died March 29, 2014 at the age of 85 at the Nazareth Home in Louisville with her husband, Harold, by her side after a long illness.

Her parents were Nellie Totten and Benjamin F. Gardner. Mr. Gardner was a prominent Louisville attorney and state legislator who named her after Eustacia Vye, an exotic beauty in Thomas Hardy's 19th century novel "The Return of the Native." She lived in Louisville her entire life. She was born at home, near Iroquois Park in Kenwood Hill, premature, weighing under three pounds but survived to raise a family and become an accomplished musician, an active church member and a friend to most everyone she met.

She spent her teenage years in the Clifton area of Louisville, raised her family in Crescent Hill and spent her last years in Hikes Point.

She attended the Auburndale Elementary School, Barret Junior High School and graduated from Atherton High School for Girls in 1947.

On Derby Day May 6, 1949, almost 65 years ago, she married the love of her life, Harold Grange Omer, whom she referred to as a "real nice, cute, redhead" only a few months after meeting him.

She first learned to play piano at four and after the birth of her three children she studied voice and organ at the Southern Baptist Seminary School of Music and was an accomplished singer, pianist and organist. A member of Clifton Baptist Church from birth until her 70s, she was the principal organist there for 42 years and often sang solo parts with the choir, taught Sunday school and was the church's first woman deacon.

In her later years she and her husband joined Highland Baptist Church where they were active members who appreciated the diversity and social consciousness of the congregation.

She was a member of a women's social group, The Glitter Girls, and a former member of a community singing group, the McDowell Singers.

She is survived by her husband, Harold "Homer"; and her best friend and sister, Alicia "Tish" Gardner; two sons, Anthony and his wife, Susan Safford, and Timothy and wife, Janet; and her daughter, Susan Omer. She loved her three grandchildren without reserve, Clayton Omer, with whom she shared a very special relationship and his partner, Ashley James, Sarah Omer de Forest and her husband, Ben, and Alexandra Glover, her mother Angela Locke and Alexandra's husband, Mark. She is also survived by four great-grandchildren, Cailin, Jaxon, Xander and the youngest, Clementine born 37 hours before her great-grandmother's death. The family is convinced Stacy held on until she was sure Clementine arrived safely.

The family would like to thank Hosparus and the Nazareth Home, and particularly Dr. Staci Mandrola for their concern and care during her long illness.

A life celebration for Stacy will be held, Friday, 10 a.m. at Highland Baptist Church, 1101 Cherokee Road, with interment to follow at Cave Hill. Visitation is Thursday, April 3, 2014 from 2 to 7 p.m. at Arch L. Heady-Cralle Funeral Home, 2428 Frankfort Avenue.

Expressions of sympathy are requested to Highland Baptist Church.

Please leave a condolence for the family at; www.archlheadycralle.com