Lavone' Dickensheets Andrews

LAVONE' DICKENSHEETS ANDREWS, a long-time resident of Houston, died in her home on June 4, 2002. Mrs. Andrews was born in Beaumont on September 18, 1912, the daughter of Charles Dickensheets and Lavone' Lowman. Her father was a newspaper reporter who had been sent from the East Coast to cover the emerging story of the Texas oil boom. Mr. Dickensheets soon resigned his position with the newspaper to become active as a wildcatter himself, and his business took the family to a series of homes across the country. Lavone' Dickensheets attended Miss Hamlin's School in San Francisco and The Marlborough School in Los Angeles before graduating with the first graduating class from Beverly Hills High School in 1929. She then moved to Houston in the summer of 1929 to enroll in the architectural program at Rice Institute where she received her Bachelor's degree in 1933. Although a hundred students had begun the program with her, she was one of five to receive their graduate degrees in Architecture in 1935. And she was the only woman to earn that degree. In addition to her studies, Mrs. Andrews was president of the Rice Dramatics Club and was voted best actress on the Rice campus. She had leading roles in a number of productions, including "The Admirable Creighton" by Sir James Barrie, and "Penelope" by Sommerset Maugham. She was also an active member of The Pallas Athene Literary Society. After serving as an apprentice in the office of the noted architect, John Staub, Mrs. Andrews opened her own office in 1938. At first, her interest was in residential architecture, but she expanded her practice to design schools, health facilities and office buildings. As an indication of her pioneering accomplishments, when she was licensed by the State of Texas in 1938, she was issued a pre-printed certificate which still read that "he" had the qualifications to practice architecture. She became a member of the American Institute of Architects in 1943, and was made a Fellow in the A.I.A. in 1977. In the 1960s, she restored Knappogue Castle, a mediaeval castle in Ireland, which she and her husband owned. Based on the excellence of her work, she was made a member of The Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland, which was an unusual honor for an American or a woman at that time. That restoration won the An Taisce Award for architectural excellence in Ireland and the Europa Nostra Award for important restoration of a European monument. In 1994, she was made a Fellow in the Royal Institute of Architects in Ireland. In addition to her practice, Mrs. Andrews was an active lecturer on architecture and design. In the 1950s, she gave her first series of lectures at Pratt Institute and the Parson's School of Design in New York. Her last lecture was to the Architectural Department of Texas A&M in 1994. Mrs. Andrews' first marriage, to Hugh Scott, ended in divorce. In 1948, she married The Hon. Mark Edwin Andrews, who was then the Assistant Secretary of the Navy. After his tour in Washington D.C., the couple returned to Houston in 1949. They worked together in Houston to build Ancon Oil & Gas, a private energy company of which Mrs. Andrews was Vice President from 1957 to 1992. Mr. and Mrs. Andrews maintained homes in Houston, Texas, and on Fishers Island, New York. For a number a years they also had an apartment in the River House in New York City. Mrs. Andrews was an Episcopalian and a member of St. John the Divine in Houston and St. John's Church on Fishers Island, New York. She had served as a Trustee of the Museum of Fine Arts in Houston, The Byzantine Institute in Washington, and as a member of the YWCA World Service Council. She had been a member of the River Club and the Cosmopolitan Club in New York and the Bayou Club in Houston. She remained a member of the Colony Club in New York and The Houston Club and River Oaks Country Club in Houston. Mrs. Andrews is survived by her son, Mark Andrews, and his wife, Beth, and by two grandchildren, Elizabeth Quay Andrews and Mark Edwin Andrews IV, both students at Harvard University. Friends may call at Geo. H. Lewis & Sons, 1010 Bering Drive on Friday, June 7, where the family will be present from 3:00 PM to 5:00 PM. Funeral services will be held on Saturday, June 8, at 3:00 PM at St. John the Divine, 2450 River Oaks Boulevard with the rector, The Reverend Dr. Laurens A. Hall, officiating. A graveside service will follow at Glenwood Cemetery. Pallbearers will be Mark Andrews IV, Thomas Brown, Robert Chenoweth, Walter Dandy, Watson Dickerman, Flan Gleeson, Oivind Lorentzen, Victor Schrager and John Schmeltzer. Additional honorary pallbearers will be Thomas D. Anderson, Dr. Ralph Berkeley, Thomas Berry, Dr. John Hull, Dr. Mavis Kelsey and Henry Luce III. Memorials may be made to Kilnasoolagh Church in Newmarket-on-Fergus, Ireland and sent to Vicki Arbuthnot at 604 Euclid, Houston, Texas 77009.