Greg Willingham

Greg Willingham, 73, of Shallowater, TX passed away peacefully in his sleep at home on Wednesday, October 13th after a battle with Parkinson's. He was the devoted husband of Clare (Stence) Willingham for the past 19 years. 

He was born on July 5th, 1948 in Washington state to Ray and Ethel Willingham. He spent his childhood in Washington, helping on the family farm and then working in the family motel/restaurant in New Mexico. He graduated from Quemado High School in 1966, as the celebrated valedictorian of his class (a whopping 11 people). He moved to Lubbock, TX in 1970 where he stayed and built a life. He worked as a mail carrier for the US postal service for many years, where he met his Lil Darlin' Clare. 

Greg was a brilliant man who could baffle anyone with his mental mathematic abilities, à la Rainman, This gift was born from his childhood days spent working in his parent's diner in New Mexico, calculating his favorite ball players' batting averages in his head to entertain himself. His absurdist style of wit was, and maybe always will be, unmatched, and he may well have been the creative genius behind the Dad Joke. He was an enthusiastic hobbyist in so many realms-woodworking, home renovation, furniture restoration, photography, golf, baseball, basketball (a fierce competitor in the driveway game of Horse), often creating beautiful handcrafted wooden pieces for his beloved family, always happy to teach those he loved how to throw a knuckleball, how to put English on their b-ball pass, or how to yell FORE on the golf course. 

He is survived by his beloved wife, Clare Willingham, son David Scott (Spring) of Lubbock, TX, daughter Christie of Duxbury, MA, the mother of his children, Amy Willingham, step daughters Cherenda (Jacob) of Oklahoma City, OK, Dehdra (Dakota) of Shallowater, TX, Debrah (Damon) of Lubbock, TX, three adored granddaughters Taylor, Gabrielle, and Chloé, his big brother, David (Elizabeth) of Vashon, WA, and many beloved pets. 

A memorial service will be held this Wednesday, October 20th at 2:00pm at St. Paul's Chapel at 4011 University Ave in Lubbock, TX. 

Memorial donations may be made to the Michael J. Fox Foundation wWw.michaelifox.org or one of his favorite spots, the Lubbock Memorial Arboretum www.lubbockarboretum.org or P.O. Box 93446 Lubbock, TX 79493. 

To send flowers to the family or plant a tree in memory of Greg Willingham, please visit our floral store.