Violet Lee Allen Steed was born February 25, 1923 in Jiba, Texas. She graduated from Terrell High School, and worked in a variety of settings as a young woman, ranging from the farm she grew up on in Texas to the United States Navy in Washington D.C. Her life was characterized by service, family, and joy.
She met her husband Paul on a blind date. The two of them raised their daughter Jane in Dallas, eventually having five grandchildren. She visited her family often as her grandchildren grew up, spending every holiday and summer with them in Natick, in Cape Cod, and at their lake house on Lake Winnipesaukee.
Violet was committed to serving others in her community and beyond. She knitted over 1,000 pairs of slippers for men living in shelters in Dallas and Boston, and made hundreds of layettes for underprivileged newborns at Parkland Hospital in Dallas. A charter member of First Community Church in Dallas, Texas, Violet always had a collection of special coins with angels on them, which she gave to every service member she ran into.
She had adventures around the globe, traveling to dozens of countries with her husband. But she was also known for creating an adventure or two closer to home. During a thunderstorm, it was not uncommon to find Violet walking alone on the beach, without an umbrella, embracing the rain.
One of Violet’s greatest lessons, which she imparted to everyone she met, was that life is something to be enjoyed and celebrated. She was always ready to pop open a bottle of champagne, to take a trip to the casino, and to assume her role in the family as “the life of the party.” She was well known for her medical advice: anything that ails you can be fixed with a bit of brandy.
Above all, Violet loved her family, and in particular, her grandchildren. She talked to them on a daily basis on the phone, and her refrigerator was always adorned with their artwork, even in her final days. She will be sorely missed.
Violet is survived by her daughter Jane and son-in-law Jim, and her grandchildren Ashley and Frederic, Jessica and Christopher, Clayton, Kelsey, and Colton?.
Her family would like to express gratitude to Good Shepherd Community Care and her caregivers Joseph, Lisa, Sauda, Liz, Julian, and Carline. In lieu of flowers, donations may be made to a charity of your choice.