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Cathy Ann White Brunicardi, 69, passed away in Mountain Home, Texas on January 31, 2022.
Cathy was a Texas girl through and through. She was proud to be a Texan and lived throughout the state over the course of her life. She was born December 8, 1952 in Midland, Texas to George Vernon and Erma Faye Brantner White. She was an only child doted on by the entire family. Midland blessed her with dear lifelong friends that loved and supported her up until her passing.
As a girl, she was shaped by the Texas Hill Country, attending Mo Ranch and Camp Mystic in the summers. She was enriched by the community and friendships she found there, bathed by the sun and the Guadalupe River.
She graduated from Midland High School in 1971 and attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. She was a proud Alpha Delta Pi sister and a dedicated, lifelong Longhorn football fan.
Austin brought Cathy new experiences in love and independence, but after about a decade she traded that for a slower-paced, small town experience in Brenham. There Cathy had her 3 children- Emily, Tally, and Matthew and owned two businesses- Namely Yours and Tripp BBQ. After the oil bust of the 1980s, Austin (Round Rock) again lured her back with its myriad of opportunities. Cathy worked in the nonprofit sector during that time, fundraising and lobbying on behalf of the environment and later, a variety of other charities. Subsequently, she moved to Port Aransas where she met her husband Greg Decker. They married in 2006. During her retirement years with Greg, they had small ranches with goats, donkeys, and longhorns in Weesatche and then, Mountain Home.
No matter in what part of Texas she resided, Cathy was a champion of underdogs. As such, she was an accomplished strategist and problem-solver. Cathy was well-versed in organizing and embraced creative rebellion to push for change. Cathy never met a stranger. She openly welcomed people (and animals) into the family and helped many people find their way out of difficult circumstances. Though her life was cut short by cancer, Cathy traveled widely, read avidly, and indulged in the things that brought her comfort and joy. She will be forever memorialized in the kiss of the sun on the beach, in the spring breeze through the bluebonnets, in the revelry after a Longhorns football game, in the sweet and savory flavors of the holidays, and in the “good trouble” we participate in when working to make the world a better place.
Cathy is survived by husband Greg Decker of Mountain Home, Texas; children Emily Catherine New (Robert Mercado) of San Antonio, Texas, Tally White Tripp of Austin, Texas, and Matthew Carlos Brunicardi of Pflugerville, Texas ; two grandchildren Ari Lucero Mercado of San Antonio, Texas and Christopher George Jimenez of Austin, Texas.
No public memorial service will be held at this time. Condolences may be sent to her family at 522 FM 479, Mountain Home, Texas 78058. In memoriam contributions may be made to Goliad Pet Adoption at www.goliadpetadoption.net. The family wishes to thank the wonderful, loving staff of Peterson Hospice and our family and friends who supported all of us until the end.
Cathy was a Texas girl through and through. She was proud to be a Texan and lived throughout the state over the course of her life. She was born December 8, 1952 in Midland, Texas to George Vernon and Erma Faye Brantner White. She was an only child doted on by the entire family. Midland blessed her with dear lifelong friends that loved and supported her up until her passing.
As a girl, she was shaped by the Texas Hill Country, attending Mo Ranch and Camp Mystic in the summers. She was enriched by the community and friendships she found there, bathed by the sun and the Guadalupe River.
She graduated from Midland High School in 1971 and attended The University of Texas at Austin where she received a Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology. She was a proud Alpha Delta Pi sister and a dedicated, lifelong Longhorn football fan.
Austin brought Cathy new experiences in love and independence, but after about a decade she traded that for a slower-paced, small town experience in Brenham. There Cathy had her 3 children- Emily, Tally, and Matthew and owned two businesses- Namely Yours and Tripp BBQ. After the oil bust of the 1980s, Austin (Round Rock) again lured her back with its myriad of opportunities. Cathy worked in the nonprofit sector during that time, fundraising and lobbying on behalf of the environment and later, a variety of other charities. Subsequently, she moved to Port Aransas where she met her husband Greg Decker. They married in 2006. During her retirement years with Greg, they had small ranches with goats, donkeys, and longhorns in Weesatche and then, Mountain Home.
No matter in what part of Texas she resided, Cathy was a champion of underdogs. As such, she was an accomplished strategist and problem-solver. Cathy was well-versed in organizing and embraced creative rebellion to push for change. Cathy never met a stranger. She openly welcomed people (and animals) into the family and helped many people find their way out of difficult circumstances. Though her life was cut short by cancer, Cathy traveled widely, read avidly, and indulged in the things that brought her comfort and joy. She will be forever memorialized in the kiss of the sun on the beach, in the spring breeze through the bluebonnets, in the revelry after a Longhorns football game, in the sweet and savory flavors of the holidays, and in the “good trouble” we participate in when working to make the world a better place.
Cathy is survived by husband Greg Decker of Mountain Home, Texas; children Emily Catherine New (Robert Mercado) of San Antonio, Texas, Tally White Tripp of Austin, Texas, and Matthew Carlos Brunicardi of Pflugerville, Texas ; two grandchildren Ari Lucero Mercado of San Antonio, Texas and Christopher George Jimenez of Austin, Texas.
No public memorial service will be held at this time. Condolences may be sent to her family at 522 FM 479, Mountain Home, Texas 78058. In memoriam contributions may be made to Goliad Pet Adoption at www.goliadpetadoption.net. The family wishes to thank the wonderful, loving staff of Peterson Hospice and our family and friends who supported all of us until the end.