Faye Lucille Lucy Dacus, one of America's Greatest Generation, passed away on Tuesday, March 6, 2018, in Denton, Texas at the age of 96 years, 8 months and 10 days.

Faye, better known as "Mickey" to family and friends, and Mom to her children, was born on June 26, 1921, in Russellville, Arkansas, to Samuel Benjamin "Ben" Lucy and Mary Ellen Knox Lucy. Faye and her husband, Horace Clay Dacus, also originally of Russellville, married on June 28, 1941, in Las Vegas, Nevada. They were married for over 76 years.

Mrs. Dacus is survived by her four children: Randall of California, Dr. Joel Dacus and his wife Ronda of Texas, Pam of California, and Karen of Virginia; three grandchildren: Paul and Alisha (son & daughter of Joel) and Evan (son of Karen & Robert); and two great-grandchildren, Oliver (age 3.5) and Augustine (born July 18, 2017), sons of Paul Dacus and his wife, Larissa of Florida. Faye was predeceased in death by her husband Horace on October 9, 2017, her parents, seven siblings and her infant son, Keith.

Faye spent her first 19 years growing up in beautiful Russellville, Arkansas. Los Angeles became her home base for the next 50 years. Due to Dad's military service and his engineering career, Faye visited nearly every continental U.S. state, including temporarily living in cities far and wide, such as: Chicago, Madison, Miami, Tulsa, Little Rock, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Wilmington, New York City, Detroit, Minneapolis, Seattle, even Ocean Springs, MS.

Eventually, Faye and Horace enjoyed 27 years of retirement in Chico, California. In her final two years, Faye visited Sanger and Denton, Texas still with her beloved husband, Horace by her side, near their son, Joel and daughter-in-law, Ronda.

Faye Dacus was first and foremost a wife and mother, and in the true sense of the word: a homemaker. In the early years of their marriage, she helped her husband, Horace establish several businesses, including two jewelry stores and later the respected Dacus Engineering Company of Southern California. As a member of "The Greatest Generation," she supported her husband and our country throughout WWII. Faye worked as a telephone operator for AT&T, and held numerous jobs including working on production and interpreting of complex blueprints, schematics and engineering data for North American Rockwell during the war.

No one could have been blessed with a better mother than Faye's children. After having her first two babies, Faye and Horace agreed that Mom should focus on raising the kids. In all Faye gave birth to five children, including Keith who passed away shortly after his birth. Mom always said, even though she enjoyed her corporate work, there was no job that could ever be as satisfying and fulfilling as her role as our mom.

Mom deeply cherished all her "chicks," as she called us. One of the fondest memories for each of her children was sitting on the kitchen stool after school sharing everything that happened during the day. If someone was causing us hurt or angst, mom was there to listen, soothe and help solve all our woes. She kept right on listening and loving all the way through our adulthood. Equally, Mom was a reader. Snuggling up with Mom, listening to her read book after book to all of her children is a memory we will forever treasure.

Mom was not only Dad's life-long best friend, she was her sisters' best friend, her children's best friend, as well as a loving grand and great-grandmom. A woman of character, Faye truly embodied all the inner beauty and strength of her Christian faith.

Faye's maiden name was Lucy. Amazingly her family ancestry can be traced back for 1000 years. She was only the second female in her direct line, allowing her to know her forefathers all the way back to the original de Lucé family, a lineage established prior to the Norman migration to England in 1066. In 1996 at the urging of their daughter Karen, Mom and Dad joined both their daughters on a very memorable trip to England, visiting Mom's family ancestral home of Charlecote near Stratford-upon-Avon and making a truly lasting memory together.

How can we memorialize a wife and mother like Faye in just a few words? She was our everything. The love she gave her children and everyone who knew her will never leave us. No one will ever love us the way she did. We will always love you, Mom, Faye, Mickey, Grams and Grandmom. We'll be thinking of you every day until we are reunited with you and Dad again in heaven.

A memorial service will be held at a later date.