Laura Grey Packer

Laura Grey Hejl Packer, 56, of Abilene, TX passed away on July 20, 2009 in Abilene, TX. Visitation will be 5 - 7 p.m., Thursday, July 23, 2009 at The Hamil Family Funeral Home, 6449 Buffalo Gap Road in Abilene. Funeral services will be held at 10 a.m., Friday, July 24, 2009 at Hillcrest Church of Christ, 650 E Ambler Ave in Abilene, with Dalvin Hampton, of Waxahachie, TX, officiating. Burial will follow in Elmwood Memorial Park directed by The Hamil Family Funeral Home. Laura was born in Austin, TX to J.C. and Betty Hejl on September 4, 1952. She went to elementary school in Tyler, and secondary schools in Corpus Christi and Conroe. She married Randy Packer on August 5, 1972 in the home of her parents in Abilene, TX. She graduated from Abilene Christian College after studying art and office administration. She initially worked for Abilene Christian College, local banks, accounting firms, and oil and gas concerns before leaving the job market to have a family. She often said she had found her purpose in life in raising her children. She was an active school volunteer and served as PTA president. She served as president of the Abilene Quilter's Guild and was an accomplished quilter, having won best in show each time she entered a quilt at the West Texas Fair. She learned tatting directly from her grandmother, designed and created numerous quilts for family and friends, and created custom quilts for the public until carpal tunnel syndrome restricted that activity. She was an avid "birder" and was currently serving as president of the Big Country Audubon Society. She traveled in a number of countries and clearly informed her fellow travelers that "every trip is a birding trip." At Dyess Air Force Base, she created and maintained the base avian checklist which is posted on the Department of Defense Partners In Flight website with links to pictures, most of which she took. Laura assisted with spring and fall quail counts and helped the base golf course maintain its Audubon International Wildlife Sanctuary status. She was awarded a special medallion by Dyess Air Force Base for her services as a contractor and tireless volunteer. She served as a host mom and mentor for international students, several of which she taught to drive using her own car. Laura is survived by her husband Randy, son Jay, daughter-in-law Amy, daughter Melissa, brother Jerry Hejl, sister-in-law Angie, brother Lee Hejl, father and mother J. C. and Betty Hejl, father-in-law and mother-in-law C.E. and Virginia Packer, and many other family and friends from around the world who thought of her as a true sister or mother. Pallbearers will be Kim Walton of Clyde, TX, Wyatt Walton of Clyde, TX, Danny Walters of Buffalo Gap, TX, Doug Boone of Parker, CO, Wayne White of Parker, CO, Mark Lansdown of Castle Rock, CO, Lowell Johnston of Abilene, TX, Tim Colglazier of Fort Worth, TX, Nathan Maxson of Houston, TX Memorials may be given to * Big Country Audubon Society P.O. Box 569 Abilene, TX 79604 * Community Foundation of Abilene for the ARMC Nursing Scholarships 500 Chestnut Street Abilene, TX 79602 * Abilene Cancer Society 209 South Danville Abilene, TX 79605 The Packer and Hejl families wish to extend our sincere thanks to Dr. Anton Melnyk, Dr. Mark Reedy, Dr. Joseph Crumbliss, Dr. George Dawson, the nurses in outpatient surgery at Abilene Regional Medical Center, the nurses at Texas Oncology and the Texas Cancer Center, the nurses and caretakers on the fifth floor at Abilene Regional Medical Center, Hospice of the Big Country, and all of the members of Hillcrest Church of Christ who loved and supported us so tenderly during our recent struggles.