Friday, January 16, 2009

Florence Poorman


Florence Poorman passed away peacefully on Dec. 29, 2008, at the age of 88. Her son, Stephen Poorman, and daughter Bonnie Garman were at her side.

Florence was a fourth-generation Californian. She carried that great smile and warmth that comes from growing up in the sunshine and orange groves of Southern California. Her mother, Gladys Hyde, and her grandmother, Gran, started one of the first maternity homes in the state. It was in this home that Florence grew up with her older sister Margaret and her younger brother, Sunny. Her father, Stanley Hyde, worked on the Panama Canal and brought home a purple heart from World War I. Sunny died in battle during World War II at the age of 18. Florence always spoke of him with deep devotion.

Florence became a stewardess for American Airlines in 1940. After meeting and marrying her husband, Roger W. Poorman, a pilot for American Airlines, she reluctantly gave up her wings and stopped flying (it was, at the time, against airline policy for married women to work as stewardesses). But she moved on to another full-time job, raising three children, Bonnie, Leslie and Stephen. After Roger died in 1979, she continued living in their home in Thousand Oaks, Calif., for several years before moving to Sun Valley to be with her two daughters. She loved the beauty of freshly fallen snow and she downhill skied well into her 70s. Tennis was her other favorite sport and she encouraged her son, Stephen, to become a professional tennis player. She was thrilled when he and his wife, Mia, took over the operation of the South Lake, Texas, tennis center in 2001.

Florence loved music and the arts. And though she could not read a note of music, she could play any piece of music on the piano by ear; you only had to hum a tune, any tune, and she was off and playing beautifully with both hands on the keys. She encouraged her daughter Bonnie to become an artist and tried to encourage her daughter Leslie to become a professional singer. Although this never came to fruition, Leslie's family and friends were blessed with her beautiful voice until she passed away in 2006. Florence spent her last years in Southlake, Texas, to be with her son, Stephen, his wife, Mia, and her grandson, Sebastian.

She is also survived by her daughter and son-in-law, Bonnie and Steven Garman; her granddaughter, Amber Vincent Willis; Amber's husband, Brian Willis, and her great-grandson, Henry Willis; her son-in-law, Joe Bergl, and his son, Joe Bergl Jr. Though her sister, Margaret, passed away in 2005, her family continued to be an important part of Florence's life. This family includes Lynette Roberts, Robin and Carey Cox, April and Nathan Chiarell, Justin Cox, Shannon Roberts and Miles, Lisa and Tawney Roberts. Special thanks to the kind people who work at Woodridge nursing and rehabilitation. She loved you very much and was very grateful for your care.

A memorial service will be held at 7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 18, at Bluebonnet Hills Memorial Chapel, 5725 Colleyville Blvd., Colleyville, Texas. In lieu of flowers, please send donations to Vitas Hospice, 8585 N. Stemmons Freeway, Suite 700 South Tower, Dallas, TX 75247.




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