Ruby Maxine Looney

1934 - 2017

Lubbock- Ruby Maxine Looney was born December 8, 1934 in Olton, TX to Reuel "Merlin" Craig and Ethel Amie Lusby Craig. The fifth of six children, Maxine faced life during the Dustbowl and Great Depression with common sense and determination, helping her family any way she could. Following the death of her father when she was six years old, the family moved to Plainview, TX. Maxine worked at Alexander's Drugstore, where she met Ervin Looney, the Air Force man she would marry shortly after graduating from high school, on November 5, 1953.

Having only set foot out of Texas once before (literally stepping across the state line into Oklahoma once as a child), Maxine and Ervin lived all over the United States, as well as in England and Istanbul, Turkey. After Ervin retired from the USAF in 1968, the family returned to Texas to live ear their parents. Ervin died suddenly at the end of 1978, and at the age of 44 Maxine became a student at Texas Tech University.

Following her college graduation, Maxine was employed by the State of Texas as a social worker with Adult Protective Services, where she was honored as Employee of the Year, repeatedly commended for exemplary service, and retired in 2001.

Ervin and Maxine were the proud parents of five children, Paul (Bellville, TX), Linda Looney Tucker (San Antonio, TX), Jack Clinton Looney (Lubbock, TX), Celia Looney Slover (Sulphur, LA), and Teresa Looney Roeder (Lubbock, TX), as well as eight grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren.

Maxine's pride and joy were her family and her career. She enjoyed gardening, going to every Texas Tech Lady Raider Basketball home game, being active in her church, and spending time with many friends and associates.

Maxine's final and most difficult battle was against debilitating dementia, which she overcame upon her death at 83 years old, on December 10, 2017.

Visitation will be held at Agape Funeral Chapel (6625 West 19th St), from 5:00-7:00 p.m. Friday, December 15, with a memorial service at Second Baptist Church (6109 Chicago Ave) at 1:00 p.m. Saturday, December 16, followed by a graveside service at Resthaven (5740 West 19th St)