Roberta Hicks

Roberta Hicks of Amarillo died Monday, November 2, at the age of 84. She was born Roberta Polk McMurtry on September 17, 1931 in Amarillo, Texas. She remained an Amarillo resident throughout her busy and fulfilled life. After being raised in the McMurtry farm and ranching family, she went on to graduate from the University of Texas in 1952. As a young woman, she married Wiley Hicks, Jr. of Amarillo and together they raised four children. Roberta enjoyed working at the construction company that Wiley had started and managed the clerical duties of the office. She became wicked with a ten-key adding machine. Roberta enjoyed politics, gin rummy, needlepoint, politics, traveling the globe, shuttling children to and from horse shows and rodeos, and politics. A staunch Texas Democrat, Roberta worked the campaigns of senators and presidential candidates and often recalled her personal friendship with Lady Byrd Johnson but her true passion was furthering the Democratic Party through local and state races and elections. She enjoyed rallying the troops and fighting in the trenches for her local candidates. She savored the ribbings between herself and her Republican counterparts, many of whom looked forward to a spirited tete a tete with the sharp-witted woman from the Texas Panhandle. Among her many awards and notable appointments, she was Secretary, President-Elect and President of the State Texas Democratic Women, honored with the Outstanding Woman of the Year for Texas Democratic Women, a delegate to both the Democratic State and National conventions, a member of the Advisory Board for TDW and served as SDEC Committeewoman from Senate District 31. She taught her children to be loyal, work hard and to strive for the top. She taught them manners, the importance of a good book and that cooking is overrated. All in all, and above all, she was a class act. She is survived by four children, Robert McMurtry Hicks and his wife, Deborah Hicks of San Antonio, Wiley Hicks, lll and his wife, Pam Hicks of Amarillo, Sarah Faulkner and her husband, David Faulkner of Amarillo and James P. Hicks and his wife, Carol Hicks of Amarillo, nine grandchildren, twelve great-grandchildren and two sisters. Visitation for Roberta will be at the Cox Funeral Home from six to eight o'clock on Wednesday, November 4th. Her request was that her services be held graveside and attended only by her family. An Honorarium in her name can be made to the Wiley Hicks, Jr. Memorial Team Roping benefitting the Hope and Healing Foundation, the High Plains Food Bank or the Hillary Clinton campaign.

Visitation Schedule

Cox Funeral Home 4180 Canyon Drive Amarillo, TX 79109 Wednesday, November 04, 2015 6:00-8:00 P.M.

Service Schedule

Private Graveside Service Llano Cemetery Thursday, November 05, 2015