Mary Louise Waddill died peacefully June 11, 2021 at the age of 90. She was born in Crosbyton, Texas on January 29, 1931, the second of four children. Louise was preceded in death by her father Dause Leander Moore, mother Mattie Jewell Logan Moore, brother Jerald Moore, and her late husband H. George Waddill.

Louise's family moved to Gorman, Texas, when she was 11 years old, due to the untimely death of her father. Upon graduation from Gorman High School in 1948, she enrolled at the Shannon School of Nursing in San Angelo, Texas and San Angelo College, where she obtained her diploma in nursing and her associate degree and became a Registered Nurse (RN) in 1951. She worked at Shannon Hospital and then joined the faculty of the Shannon School of Nursing. In 1964 she moved to Ft. Worth and earned her BSN from Texas Christian University. She returned to Shannon Hospital until 1968. She then moved to Houston to attend Texas Woman's University and earned her MSN in 1970.

In 1973 she moved to Austin when she accepted the position of Educational Secretary for the Board of Nurse Examiners. While working for the Board, she returned to school once more to earn her PhD from the University of Texas at Austin in 1979. In 1987, Louise was appointed Executive Director for the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas. Her career encompassed a full spectrum of nursing positions, including pediatric staff nurse, nursing faculty and director of professional schools of nursing. Her involvement in professional nursing garnered her both state and national recognition, including membership on various National Council of State Boards of Nursing committees, membership in the Executive Women in Texas Government, and on Graduates of Foreign Nursing Schools Board of Trustees. Under her leadership, the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas was chosen the Most Outstanding State Nursing Regulatory Agency in the United States by the National Council of State Boards of Nursing in 1990. She retired in 1995 as the Executive Director for the Board of Nurse Examiners for the State of Texas.

While Louise was quite accomplished in her education and professional career, she was devoted to her family. She cherished every moment and was never too busy. She was the rock and guiding light that kept the family connected.

In her younger days, she found a love for running and entered several races, including the Boston Marathon. Running is how she met her husband George who adored her. They loved to travel and together they discovered a love of wine that took them across the USA to many wineries.

Louise loved to cook. Her kitchen was like a mini-Williams Sonoma with every gadget imaginable. Her religious journey awakened when she found and became a member of St. Matthews Episcopal Church. She was blessed with many friendships and a renewed faith.

Survivors include daughter Caryn Truitt, son Larry Sanders and wife Vickie, son Paul Sanders, grandchildren Laurie Baxter, Cassidy Holik and husband Erik, Shelby Holmes and husband Colton, Samantha Armstrong and husband Heath, Logan Sanders, Chloe Sanders, great grandchildren Makayla Baker, Dausen Walker, Ethan Holik, Harrison & Hadley Holmes, Wyatt Armstrong, sisters Hazel Wilbanks and Ruby Wurth, and nephews Joe Wilbanks and Steven Wilbanks. Services will be held at St. Matthew's Episcopal Church, 8134 Mesa Drive, Austin, Texas, stmattsaustin.org., on Sunday, June 27th at 2:00 P.M. A reception will follow the service.

Weed-Corley-Fish Funeral Home