Muriel Lucille Stubbs, 87, passed away on Sunday, April 2, 2017 in Houston. She was the daughter of Cecil Stubbs and Clara Gray Stubbs and was born in Port Arthur, Texas on November 5, 1929, where she also grew up, the fourth of seven children. She was active with the Camp Fire Girls, served as a camp counselor and continued to attend annual reunions at their camp. After graduating from Thomas Jefferson High School, she received her Bachelor’s Degree in English and a Master’s Degree in Guidance and Counseling from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s Degree in Literature from the Bread Loaf School of English of Middlebury College in Middlebury, Vermont. She retired after 38 years of teaching English in Port Arthur public schools (where Janis Joplin was one of her students); The Bishop’s School in La Jolla, California; and J.E.B. Stuart High School in Falls Church, Virginia. Many of her former students became her lifelong friends. She has also taught in White Pines College’s Elder Hostel program in Chester, New Hampshire, and most recently coordinated a monthly creative writing group where aspiring writers came together to share ideas and critique each other's work.
Muriel was a feminist always and a Yellow Dog Democrat, but aside from marching numerous times down Constitution Avenue with signs and placards, she was seldom able to indulge these passions until she retired and moved to Houston in the early 1990’s and became a regular volunteer with the Harris County Democratic Party. Volunteering for the party was very fulfilling for Muriel, and she fell in love with her volunteer work for the party and with her fellow activists. She served as Editor of the ROADwomen Register, the monthly newsletter of the River Oaks Area Democratic Women’s Club, where she published a monthly column, Muriel Stubbs’ News Update.
She is survived by her brother Bill Stubbs and his wife, Patsy; her brother Mark Stubbs and Don Willson, and many other family members and special friends. She was preceded in death by both parents; her brother Carlton and her sisters Cecile, Gwen and Bonnie.
Muriel’s family wants to thank the staff of Memorial Hermann Greater Heights Hospital and all of her friends who came to visit her and lovingly cared for her in her final days, especially her nieces - Kay Stubbs, Lesley Stubbs and Lyndi Reed, and friends MariAlice Grimes and Toni Medellin.
Following a private graveside service at Memory Gardens, Nederland, Texas, a Celebration of Muriel’s Life will be held in Houston at a later date. In lieu of flowers, please make contributions to the Houston Friends for Life at (713) 863-9835.
"To love that well which thou must leave ere long." -William Shakespeare