Lou-Ida Simmons Marsh, 88, of Caldwell, Texas, passed away on Sunday, August 7, 2022.
A Memorial Service will be held in her honor on Thursday, August 11, 2022, at 10:00 a.m. in the chapel at Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home, Caldwell.
Lou-Ida Simmons Marsh was born a New Year’s baby in 1934 in Orange, Texas. Always sharing the story of her doctor being in a tuxedo, she was the last of three siblings born to her parents, Byron Simmons and Lou-Ida Blades Simmons.
Graduating from Orange Stark High School, Lou-Ida attended Texas State College for Women in Denton gaining a degree in Speech Communications.
After marrying James H. Marsh III, on August 27, 1955, they moved to Caldwell where she began teaching four days after their wedding. Lou-Ida would often recall meeting her future husband when she was four
years old. They met again when Jim became good buddies with her brothers during and around the Korean War.
As a teacher at Caldwell High School, Lou-Ida enjoyed her students and taught the subjects of speech, theatre and journalism. She became the school’s One-Act-Play Director and brought UIL Theatre Competitions into the school system. She was quite adept and learned quickly, honing her skills, and began advancing through several levels of competition; eventually earning two State titles with two State runners-up.
Lou-Ida retired from teaching in 1984 and earned a Master’s Degree in Theatre History from the University of Texas. With this degree behind her, she set forth an illustrious career of judging plays, directing/critiquing at summer workshops, and working with teachers in Georgia, Alabama, and Tennessee as well as becoming renown in the State of Texas as an Educational Theatre Consultant.
As a founding member of the Texas Educational Theatre Association, she believed that theatre was first an educational tool and developed many workshops with that in mind. She was also a keen competitor and helped spin off the sister agency -- “AO” -- the Adjudicators’ Organization which provides information and guidelines for those adjudicating student competitions today. In her capacity, she met directors from across the state from public schools to elite colleges and universities.
After Lou-Ida retired from public life, she kept up with many friendships she had made along the way including that of her college roommate as well as other retired contemporaries and former students. She developed a passion for the Houston Astros baseball team and hardly ever missed watching a game. She loved her pets (Gretchen and Hutch -- the “beagles’’) and her outside kitties (“Front Porch Cats”). She transformed the backyard into a haven for birds, squirrels, frogs, toads, bees and the occasional opossum. Her love of animals and nature passed through to her daughters.
Lou-Ida was predeceased by her husband, Jim Marsh in 2014; and is survived by two daughters, (Melissa Anne Marsh and wife, Kelly Timmons, of San Antonio, and Mollie Marsh of Caldwell).
The family requests that in lieu of flowers that donations be made to the Caldwell Veterinary Clinic, 845 Presidential Corridor E., Caldwell, Texas 77836, with a memo in the message line for “City Animals.”
Express condolences at PhillipsandLuckey.com.
Phillips & Luckey Funeral Home
404 W. Buck St. Caldwell, Tx 77836 979-567-3232