Elizabeth Hope Evans Verhalen

VERHALEN, Elizabeth Hope Evans Verhalen Elizabeth Hope Evans Verhalen passed away February 7, 2016, in the peace of her faith and amidst the love of her husband and family. Hope was born to Hibernia Simmons Evans and Peter Evans, Sr., on November 10, 1931 in Dallas, Texas. She grew up in Dallas, where she attended Holy Trinity Parochial School, Ursuline Academy, Hockaday Junior College, and Southern Methodist University, graduating in the Spring of 1952. In 1966 Hope married her true love, Peter Verhalen, Sr., whom she had known since elementary school. Together they raised six children in their strong Catholic faith and attended daily mass. Their children are Abbot Peter Verhalen, O. Cist., Rufus Erik Verhalen, Elizabeth Williams, Patty Cater, Alison Batchelder and Michael Verhalen. They were blessed with ten grandchildren: Michelle Verhalen, Lacey Verhalen, Cooper Verhalen, Anthony Vallone, Ashley Vallone, Eloise Vallone, Andrew Vallone, Paxton Batchelder, Stanton Batchelder, and Emma Verhalen, and one great grandson, Gabriel Verhalen. Nothing gave her greater joy than time spent with her children and their families. Her life was defined by her creativity, her compassion for others, especially children, and her devotion to her family and Church. She was considered by all the epitome of fashion, graciousness, and elegance. Hope was active in the Park Cities Big Sisters, Kappa Kappa Gamma Sorority, the Children's Ward at Parkland Hospital, the Junior League in Dallas and Houston, the Catholic Women's Charity Guild and Theresians Group in Houston. Hope enjoyed a successful career as a dress designer. She designed the Jo Junior line for Parkland of Dallas for 17 years. In 1955 she won the City of Dallas fashion design award. In 1957 she organized the first Artists and Models Ball (the forerunner of the Beaux Arts Ball at the Dallas Museum of Fine Arts). In 1959 Mademoiselle (magazine) named her "The Most Promising Designer in the U.S." In 1963 Hope designed the first swimwear line to be manufactured outside California. In 1968 she was singled out and honored as one of the six top designing women in America by Ladies Home Journal. Her designs were shown in several prominent magazines including Seventeen, Mademoiselle, and Glamour. She gathered ideas for her designs in Europe, U.S., Canada, and Mexico City. She also designed the uniforms for Delta Airlines. The girls at Dallas's Ursuline Academy are still wearing uniforms Hope designed. A memorial mass will be celebrated at 10:00 a.m., Thursday, February 11 at St. Michael's Catholic Church in Houston. A second memorial mass will be celebrated at 2:00 p.m., Saturday, February 13 at the Cistercian Abbey in Irving, Texas. In lieu of flowers donations may be made in her name to the Lester and Sue Smith Breast Center at Baylor College of Medicine for cancer research.