Inez C. Willard passed away peacefully on July 16, 2026, at Continue Care Hospital of Longview. Born in Paris on May 27, 1938, to J.B. and Ethel C. Cunningham, she grew up in Clarksville, where she attended McKenzie Memorial Methodist Church and graduated from Clarksville High School. She went on to earn a bachelor’s degree in business education from East Texas State University in Commerce before taking a job at Collins Radio in Richardson.
She met her beloved husband, Jack Willard, at Lovers Lane United Methodist Church in Dallas, and the couple married on March 15, 1975. They made their home in North Garland and enjoyed traveling, trying new restaurants, and spending time with their family. In 1976, Inez took a position with the Texas Department of Health and Human Services and went on to become a welfare hearing officer.
After her husband’s untimely passing in 1989, Inez became active in Widowed Persons, where she met many good friends over the years. She also remained close with several girlfriends from her youth, including Carolyn, Jo Alice, Marilyn, and Betty Sue. Although the ladies had scattered to different locations, they delighted in meeting up on trips to such places as Cape Cod, Hawaii, Santa Fe, and perhaps, most memorably, France, where they spent a month. Calling themselves the “YaYas,” they also got together for many class reunions in Clarksville.
Inez retired from the state in 1997 and soon after, she began escaping the Texas summers for San Diego. She welcomed friends and family to visit her there and most of them took her up on it. One of her favorite traveling companions was her granddaughter, Missy, whom she flew from West Virginia to Texas every summer. Together they vacationed to Disneyland, Washington, D.C., Galveston, San Antonio, and other places. Inez traveled with many other friends as well, always excited when she found a kindred spirit to accompany her on a new adventure.
She celebrated her 75th birthday in Toronto, Canada, with her dear friend, Jim, with whom she shared many happy memories. Inez was a wonderful hostess and loved sharing her beautiful North Dallas home with friends and family. Her home was always impeccably tidy and spotless, and somehow, she made it look effortless. One of the highlights of her life was the birth of her great-grandson, Cash, in 2014, at which point she became “G.G.” She was enamored by his fiery orange hair and immensely proud of his accomplishments. Inez was also a loving mom to her son, Jamie, a faithful older sister to Sue, and a very special “Auntie” to Carrie. After more than 50 years in the Metroplex, she moved to an independent living community in McKinney and didn’t look back. Her health issues eventually required more care, and she moved to North Park Health and Rehab in McKinney and then, briefly, to Buckner Westminster in Longview.
Inez will be greatly missed by all who loved her and remembered always for her quick wit, her sharp mind, her beautiful smile, and the deep compassion behind her tough exterior. She is survived by her son, James Hodgson, of Wichita, KS; her granddaughter, Melissa Erion, and her husband, Corey, and their five children, Cash, Michael, Teresa, Alicia, and Maria, of Wichita, KS; her sister, Sue Anders, of Sulphur Springs; her nephew, Kenneth Caviness, and his wife, Barbara, of LaGrange, GA; her niece, Deborah Caviness, of Garland; and her niece, Carrie Sansom, and her fiancé, Michael Mirelez, of Marshall. The family will receive friends July 25, 2026, at 10 a.m. at Fry Gibbs Funeral Home in Paris, with a service to follow at 11. Burial will then take place at Hopewell Cemetery. The family would like to express their thanks for the excellent care given at both Christus Good Shepherd Hospital and Continue Care Hospital in Longview. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that donations be made to First United Methodist Church in McKinney or to Envision Inc., which supports the blind and visually impaired and made a vital difference in Cash’s life.
