Memorial services for Christi Hanna Spradley were held Dec. 17, 2008, at Christ Episcopal Church with the Very Reverend M.L. Agnew, Jr. officiating. She died December 14, 2008.
Christi was born June 29, 1946 in Nacogdoches, Texas to Roy Smith Hanna and Neta Wagstaff Hanna. She attended Jacksonville Public Schools where she was a cheerleader, homecoming queen, and graduated second in her class. She then attended Stephen F. Austin State University where she met her husband, Randy. She graduated Magna Cum Laude with a Bachelor of Arts in Education, later earning her Masters of Education.
After Randy’s tour with the U.S. Army in Korea, the couple returned to Nacogdoches and soon Matthew Tucker was born. Christopher David arrived 2 years later. Christi served as the first president of the Nacogdoches Junior Forum, which later became the Junior League of Nacogdoches. The family relocated to the Tyler area in 1977.
In keeping with her love of the English language, Spradley taught English at both All Saints School and Tyler Junior College. She was a past president of the Mildred Floyd Garden Club and the owner of Biscuit Barrel Antiques in Tyler. She loved to read and was an active member of her book group. Sunday mornings were spent solving crossword puzzles, reading the paper, and watching Meet the Press. She enjoyed staying busy, bouncing from her nephews’ tennis matches and Red Hat events in Jacksonville with her mom to playing Mah Jongg and going to antique auctions. She always looked forward to visiting her sons and their families in Salado and Frisco
Even though she spent the last 19 months in a hard-fought battle against glioblastoma, a malignant brain tumor, Christi insisted on staying active and independent throughout the duration of her illness, continuing her travels and spending many weekends entertaining friends and family on the shore of Salado Creek. She was grateful for the help and support of her exceptional physicians, Drs. Arielle Lee and Paul Detweiler.
Christi will be remembered for her good–natured personality and her devotion to her family and friends. She was a wonderful daughter, wife, mother and grandmother. Those who knew her will never forget her laughter and her generous hugs. Christi Spradley embraced life with remarkable courage and grace through adversity as well as joy, enjoying the rewards of a loving family and a host of devoted friends whose memory of all of the moments with her will be treasured forever.
She was preceded in death by her husband, Tucker Randall Spradley.
Christi is survived by her mother, Neta Hanna, of Jacksonville; her son, Matt and daughter-in-law Kelly and her three beloved grandchildren, Parker Hanna, Tucker Jameson , and Jacquelyn McKinney Spradley of Frisco; her son, Chris and partner Will Lowery of Salado; her brother and sister-in-law, David and Becky Hanna and their sons Justin and Dylan , all of Jacksonville. She is also survived by her sister-in-law, Linda Ray and her husband, Rex Ray of Pine Tree, and nieces Robin Carlton and Randee Ray; her sister–in-law, Carrol Spradley ,one nephew, Stephen Spradley, and many special cousins.
Honorary pallbearers are Joe Bill Belue, Jeff Buie, Wade Coody, Jim Denson, Mike Hopson, Cliff Hughes, Leonard Leifer, Chris Lindsey, Frank McClendon, Willie Redford, Preston Smith, Stan Smith, Tom Tyler, Mark Wagstaff, and Andy Wall.
At the family’s request, memorials in honor of Christi Spradley may be made in lieu of flowers to Hospice of East Texas.