June 1, 1945 – Aug. 21, 2022
Marcia was born on June 1, 1945, to James D. and Marguerite B. Roberts in Memphis, Tenn. She was a warm and loving person. Her smile could light up a room.
She graduated from Central High School in Memphis, then attended the University of Tennessee at Martin and the University of Memphis before graduating from the Louisiana State University with a degree in Journalism in 1968. At LSU she was a member of Phi Mu sorority. She moved to Lake Charles, La. She worked as a journalist for two different newspapers and as a legal secretary.
The event that would define the rest of her life was meeting Dick Churns at the 1968 International Crawfish Festival in Breaux Bridge, La. They were standing on opposite sides of a street when they heard sirens. The sirens were from motorcycle policemen escorting a beer truck to the festival. When the beer truck passed Dick could see Marcia. He was smitten by the vision of loveliness that was Marcia. They were married on March 1, 1969, at St Andrew Presbyterian Church in Lake Charles. Shortly after the wedding they joined St Andrew serving and attending for 4 years. She was a member of the Junior League and President of the Phi Mu alumni association. Marcia also joined the Lake Charles Jaycee Jaynes serving until she moved.
In July 1973. Marcia and Dick moved to Ponca City, Okla. Marcia joined the Ponca City Jaycee Women serving them as Vice President and President and then serving the Oklahoma Jaycee Women as a Regional Vice President and as National Convention Coordinator twice. She was awarded the Sondra Hamilton award as the outstanding Oklahoma Jaycee Woman. She also received an Oklahoma Jaycee Woman Princess award, a US Jaycee Woman Congresswoman award and was listed in Outstanding Young Women of America. She worked for a short time in an optometrist office. Marcia and Dick joined St Paul’s United Methodist Church in Ponca City serving and attending for 11 years except for a year spent in Anaheim, Calif. Marcia was a member of the St Paul’s United Methodist Women. She had learned CPR previously and performed it on a member, saving her life.
In 1984, Marcia and Dick were moving to the Houston area when the St Paul’s lay liturgist told Dick that he didn’t care what subdivision they lived in but they should join St Peter’s so the first Sunday they were in Katy they attended St Peter’s, on Wednesday Pastor Charles Millican visited us and on the next Sunday they joined St Peter’s. In January 1985 Charles asked Marcia to serve as Volunteer Office Coordinator. She accepted and served for 35 years as the first and only Volunteer Office Coordinator until retiring when the office closed for the Pandemic. She was an assistant treasurer and served on the Finance Committee before Dick did. She was a member of UMW serving as President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, and Spiritual Growth Chairwoman. She was a member of Leftover Friends Sunday School Class serving as Secretary for several years.
She lived in Tennessee, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Maryland, California and Texas and has travelled to 49 of the 50 states. She also lived in Belgium, Venezuela and England and has travelled to 35 foreign countries. Being from Memphis, she loved all things Elvis. She also loved country music, especially Brooks & Dunn, Alan Jackson, George Strait and Alabama. She also loved stuffed animals elephants and owls. When Dick was in Thailand Marcia told him that it was good luck to feed the elephants so he did.
She was preceded in death by her parents. She was particularly fond of Dick’s mother, Florence Churns and his aunt, Martha Gulick, both deceased. She is survived by her loving husband, Richard “Dick” Churns of Katy. She is also survived by her sister, Barbara Gayle, of Lake Charles, La., by her nephew Gordon Gunn of Austin and her niece Claire Manuel of Slidell, La., by Dick’s sisters Sandy Fair of Evergreen, Colo., Kathie Simpson of Irwin, Pa., and Debbie Updegraff of Greensburg, Pa., and by Dick’s brother, Jim Churns, of Fayetteville, Pa.
A memorial service will be held on Sept. 9, at 11 a.m. at St Peter’s United Methodist Church, 20775 Kingsland Boulevard, Katy, Texas. Any gifts in Marcia’s honor may be made to the St Peter’s Care Team.