1925-2025

Hope Davis Tankersley died March 19, 2025, in Washington, DC, at the age of 99.

Hope was born to Hubert L. and Mary Pagel Davis on April 5, 1925, in Terrell, Texas. She was their first and only child together, as Mary died a few years later.

After her mother died, Hope spent many months with her Pagel family in Hallettsville, Texas, where she learned how to ride a horse and other farming skills from her granddaddy Pagel, and was taught by her many aunts how to be a lady. Some of those lessons stuck; some, not so much, as Hope was by nature a very curious and active girl.

Hope’s daddy, a successful Terrell dentist, married again to Inez White, so not only did Hope regain a full time home with her daddy, she also gained two beloved sisters, Suzanne and Linda. Though she was a good bit older than they, the sisters were close all their lives.

Hope attended Terrell Public Schools through graduation in 1947, after which she moved to Austin to attend the University of Texas. She majored in Home Economics and received a Bachelor of Science degree.

Charles Tankersley was also at the University, but left to join the Army in World War II. After he returned to complete his studies, he and Hope began dating and eventually married in 1947. They had two children, Liz and Ned.

Charles died in 1994. Hope filled her life as a librarian in the public schools, doing volunteer work for the Methodist Church, for Meals on Wheels and for many other worthy causes. She also spent many laugh-filled hours with her brother-in-law Jack and his wife Maxine at the Tankersley farm.

In 2007, Hope packed up her books and model horses and moved to Washington, DC, to live near her daughter and her son-in law-Brian. Hope’s life blossomed in DC. She attended concerts at the Kennedy Center, plays at local theaters, parties and dinners with Liz and Brian, ate in exotic restaurants, and explored many historical sites in the mid-Atlantic region. She became beloved by many in the DC area, and always shared her enthusiasm for good books, movies, and music.

Hope never stopped reading, and never stopped loving animals – she owned a dog companion almost her entire life – which is why we know she would want any memorial in her name to go to either the Terrell Public Library (Hulsey Friends of the Library) or any cash strapped library in your area; or to an animal rescue organization -- Two of the best no-kill groups are Best Friends Animal Society and North Shore Animal League. Both have web sites that make it easy to donate online.