Ava Griffin Foy

Ava Griffin Foy died peacefully in her Austin residence on April 18, 2006. Born December 2, 1908 in Callahan County, she was the first of ten children born to Joel and Nellie South Griffin. Following graduation from Clyde High School, a year at McMurry College, and two summers at Sul Ross University and John Tarlton College, she taught school in Fairview, Clyde and Cross Plains. On July 11, 1932, she married Harold Clarkson Foy of Baird at the First Methodist Church in Clyde. At the time, he was an engineer with the Texas Highway Department in McLain, Texas, and they moved through the Texas Panhandle as roads were constructed. After stints in Brownwood – where Harold was in charge of road construction in Camp Bowie – and in Corpus Christi where he worked at the Naval Air Station, the couple settled in Brownwood. There, Harold was named Manager of the Brownwood Water Improvement District, which regulated Lake Brownwood. In late August of 1949, Harold died and Ava was faced with raising a daughter, 11, and a son, 5. Within two weeks, she was enrolled in Daniel Baker College. During the next twelve months, she completed two years of college requirements and received her Bachelor of Education from McMurry College. Two weeks after graduation, she began a 25-year career as a fifth grade teacher in Brownwood. She later earned a Master of Education degree from the University of Texas in Austin. She loved attending school and considered her enrollment in five different colleges to have been special times. Ava was president of the Junior Twentieth Century Club, served on the Board and the Pastor Parish Relations Committee at First United Methodist Church and spent one summer writing elementary school curriculum for fifth grade. She is survived by daughter Nancy McCoy of Austin and son James Harold Foy and wife Cynthia of Farmersville; brother Bill Griffin and wife Lucille of Clyde; four granddaughters: Carolyn McCoy Johnson and husband Bob and Kathleen McCoy of Austin; Nicole Foy and husband Steve Spriester of San Antonio; Andrea Foy Naff and husband the Rev. Jason Naff of Beckley, West Virginia. She has eight great-granddaughters: Emily and Lyndsey Johnson; Peyton, Tatum, and Sloane Spriester; and Avery, Rylie and Ellis Naff. Other survivors include numerous other relatives. Burial will be at 10:30 a.m. on Saturday, April 22 at the Ross Cemetery in Baird and a memorial service at First United Methodist Church in Brownwood will follow at 2:30 p.m. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to the First United Methodist Church, 2500 11th St., Brownwood, 76801, or to the charity of your choice.