Helen Kay Hallmark McHaney

Helen Kay Hallmark McHaney October 13, 1931 - September 25, 2022 "Let the word go forth, to friend and foe alike, that the torch has been passed to a new generation of Americans." JFK -January 20, 1961 When Kennedy spoke those words, Kay McHaney was the thirty-year-old wife of Sid McHaney (1928-2004) and the mother of three young children living in San Tome', Venezuela. Although she probably voted for Nixon, her life, (whether dining with the harem of the Emir of Kuwait, hosting an ambassadorial reception in her home in Kinshasa, DRC, or teaching the Scriptures to inmates in the Texas Prisons - for which she received recognition by the Governor) epitomized that new generation JFK envisioned. Born Helen Kay Hallmark in Henderson, Texas on October 13, 1931, she was the first child of Robert and Alice Hallmark. She and her brother Bobby grew up in a family during the depression years with all the financial, emotional, and physical difficulties of that time. Early in her life she learned to be resilient and rely on her own gifts and abilities for survival, whether tending bar in a speak-easy or breaking horses for a local ranch outside Austin her early years were devoted to learning as much as she could and helping to pay the rent for her family. Amid it all as a young teen she found a faith in Jesus Christ that changed her life and directed her steps in the years to follow. First to Hardin Simmons University and then to the ends of the earth. At 16 years old she left home to go to university, graduated at 19 with a degree in Mathematics - and married Sid McHaney in September of 1951 - a marriage of soulmates who dedicated themselves to following Christ and serving others in a shrinking world. After Hardin Simmons, a stint in the Air Force (during Korea), a further year in Lubbock where she taught school and her husband attended Texas Tech - the true adventure of faith began when at 23 years old she found herself flying to Venezuela with her 2-year-old daughter, Dana, in her lap and a quarter in her pocket. Gulf Oil and then Chevron footed the bill for their family travels around the globe, life in Venezuela, Kuwait, Texas, California, England, Louisiana, Nigeria and the DRC (from where they retired) - but Jesus Christ was always her passion. In churches small and large, in Spanish, French, and English (of various types) she and Sid lived out their faith by serving others. She made life-long friends during these years from all the nations where she lived. She could tell entertaining stories for hours about her global travels and experiences but was never more animated than when sharing about the work in a mission hospital (whether in the Arabian Gulf states or the heart of Africa), the efforts of local believers to improve the lives of their communities, or of the response from those in prison to the gospel of grace. In Huntsville, people at Elkins Lake (where she and Sid retired) may have known her as a golfer, an active member of Elkins Lake Baptist Church, an avid Astros fan, a host to international students (who sometimes lived weeks in her home), a volunteer at the prison for more than twenty years, or the woman who did taxes for AARP for free at the mall. But for her family she was our matriarch who shepherded us all (children and grandchildren) through life's tangles so we could pursue our dreams. Everyone who knew her well will miss her greatly. She is survived by her family scattered across the world: three children: Dana and her husband Jeff Puschell, Toni and her husband David Smith, Scot and his wife Leslie McHaney; her eight grandchildren: Ann Puschell (Phillip Reichl), Brian Puschell, and Kris Puschell, Nicki Aniol (Chris), and Lisa Smith, Megan McHaney (Robin Parker), Sarah McHaney, and Iona Marcellino (Jeremiah); and her seven great grandchildren: Henry, Miranda, Jessica, and Lyta Reichl: Everett and Kaylyn Aniol, and Remi Marcellino. "The Lord declares..... Those who honour me I will honour." 1 Samuel 2:30 The family would like to extend their gratitude to the staff at Creekside Retirement Community for their care and attention to the needs of our mother and Grandmother for the past three years during some difficult times for us all. In lieu of flowers please honor Kay through the giving of a donation to one of the groups close to her heart: The Good Shepherd Mission, Baptist University of the Americas, Elkins Lake Baptist Church or MRC Creekside. Visitation will take place on Friday, November 4, 2022 from 5:00 - 7:00 pm at Sam Houston Memorial Funeral Home in Huntsville, TX. Services will be Saturday, November 5, 2022 at 10:30 am at Elkins Lake Baptist Church in Huntsville and she will be laid to rest at Mayes Addition of Oakwood Cemetery at 2:00 pm. Memorial condolences to the family may be made at www.shmfh.com. If you are not able to attend, the services will be live streamed on the church website: www.elbc.org. Live stream will start at 10:00 am on Saturday November 5, 2022.