Doris Clay Vance

Doris Clay Vance passed away on April 12 at the age of 87. A visitation with the family will be held on Monday, April 15, 2019 at Piersall Funeral Directors, 733 Butternut Street in Abilene, from 5:00 to 6:30 p.m. The funeral service will be held Tuesday at 10:00 a.m. at the funeral home, with a graveside service to follow.

Doris was born on March 12, 1932 in Big Spring, Texas, to Harvey E. and Mattie Cullers Clay. She graduated from Abilene Christian College with a B.S. in English and an M.Ed. degree in Education. She taught grades 3,4, and 5, as well as High School English in Christoval Texas. She married the love of her life, Robert E. Vance on February 17, 1955, and together they spent their lives ministering in churches in the United States, Germany, and Austria.

She helped with church campaigns in Sydney, Australia; Nazareth, Palestine; Vienna, Austria; Port Elizabeth, South Africa; Kauai, HI; and Kaiserslautern, Germany. She was a preacher’s wife, an Elder’s wife, and a faithful member of the church of Christ.

Doris was a dedicated and loving wife, mother, grandmother, great-grandmother, and servant to family and countless others, whose legacy will impact generations to come. She had the gift of hospitality and loved to cook, and her house was always full of friends, family, and the joyful piano music of her beloved husband, Bob. She also had a heart full of compassion for the sick and would often visit them with a gift or meal in hand. She was a strong believer in the power of prayer and spent untold hours in intercession for her family and others. She also had a heart for orphan’s and she bought and made dolls and other toys for them.

The greatest Love of Doris’s life was her Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Her greatest heart’s desire was to share the the most important news in her life, that God “so loved the world, that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life.”

Doris is survived by her daughter Ruthie Martin, and her husband Frank, of Colorado Springs, CO; her daughter Lynnette Stillwell, and her husband Ron of Colleyville,TX; her daughter Debbie Hamby, and her husband Michael of Abilene TX. She is also survived by her grandchildren, Kathleen Campbell and her husband Jeff; David Martin and his wife Joylynne; Michael Stillwell, Kandilyn Ford and her husband Bryson; Michaela Bietz and her husband Dylan, and Nathaniel Hamby, as well as ten beloved great- grandchildren. She is greatly loved, and will be dearly missed.

Doris requested that in lieu of flowers, donations be made to World Christian Broadcasting, or Zambia Christian Medical Missions. Condolences may be offered to the family online at www.pbfuneraldirectors.com.