Lenora Ann "Nonie" Shankweiler left the comfort and security of her loving family on November 12, 2018.

Nonie was born on October 25, 1944, in Montgomery, Alabama where she grew up with her six brothers and sisters. The daughter of William Terrell Crowder and Lenora Ann (Brown) Crowder, Nonie was 10 years younger than her next sibling and was the adored baby sister of the family. She was a graduate of St. Mary's of Loretto Catholic School.

She married Raymond Barry Shankweiler, of Georgetown, Delaware, on July 3, 1963. Ray was a career Air Force man and he and Nonie traveled extensively, experiencing many new cultures from their early assignment as a young couple in Ankara Turkey, then later as a growing family in Washington D.C., Montgomery Alabama, Stuttgart Germany and Athens Greece.

Along the way, Nonie and Ray had three children, Elizabeth, Lenora, and Raymond Jr. A dedicated mother, she relished the time she spent with her children, volunteering countless hours as classroom mom, Boy Scout den mom, Girl Scout leader, and for many other activities her children were involved in.

After retiring from the Air Force after 22 years of Service, Ray and Nonie started another global adventure when Ray joined the U.S. State Department foreign service. They continued to make friends around the world, serving in Paris France, Tel Aviv Israel, Amman Jordan, Maseru Lesotho, Abuja Nigeria, and Skopje Macedonia.

After Ray passed away unexpectedly in 2004 while stationed in Macedonia, Nonie started a new chapter in her life, moving to Houston to be close to her daughters. She settled quickly into the rhythm of Texas life and continued to be committed to her family, which now included seven grandchildren: Rebecca and Melanie, daughters of Elizabeth and Michael Sturm; Evan and Austin, sons of Lenora and Robert McCoy; Kelsey, Brendon and Emma, children of Jennifer and Raymond Shankweiler.

In her last few years, Nonie struggled with Alzheimer's Disease, which ultimately led to her passing. With her family beside her, Nonie faced her disease with courage and faith. Even at the end, when the effects of Alzheimer's were at their worst, she continued to create strong friendships with her caretakers and nurses. Nonie passed quietly in the afternoon, having spent much of the previous week surrounded by her loving children. Nonie will be buried with her much loved husband at Houston National Cemetery.

Recognizing the terrible impact that Alzheimer's has on people and families, we ask that in lieu of flowers or other items for the family, you please donate to the Alzheimer's Association ( alz.org ).  We pray that in the future no other family has to see this horrible disease steal the memories and quality of life from their family members.