Sondra Jo Stalcup

Sondra Jo Stalcup died unexpectedly of a heart attack on December 19th, 2015. Born and raised in Dallas, Sondra lived the last 11 years in Fort Worth on the eastern shore of Eagle Mountain Lake. Her husband, Mike McKay survives her.

Sondra was a semi-retired minister and religious educator. A native Dallasite, Sondra was born on November 23, 1953, the second child of Joe A. and Nancy Vaughn Stalcup. She grew up in the Lakewood area and was an active member of East Dallas Christian Church. She graduated from Woodrow Wilson High School in 1972 and the University of Texas at Austin in 1975 with a B.S. in Communications.

Sondra was married in 1975 to David M. Goodson, who is the father of her two children, Rachel and Stephen. Utilizing her communications degree, Sondra worked successfully in advertising and public relations in both Houston and Dallas. In 1985 she enrolled in Perkins School of Theology at Southern Methodist University, earning her Master of Divinity, magna cum laude in 1990. During this time, she also served as interim minister at First Christian Church, Lancaster TX and Highlands Christian Church, Dallas TX, where she was treasured by her congregations. She also served as President of Disciples Women, Christian Church in the Southwest Region.

Also in 1990, Sondra became an Ordained Minister in the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). Shortly thereafter, she commenced studies towards a Ph.D. in systematic theology, completing all requirements except for her dissertation on feminist Christology. Sondra thrived in the academic atmosphere, making lifelong friends and colleagues in her studies at Perkins. In addition to raising her two children, she served as guest minister for numerous Disciples congregations in the Dallas area. She and David were divorced in 1995.

In the early 2000’s she began teaching Religious Studies as an Adjunct Instructor at Texas Christian University in Fort Worth. Tiring of the commute from Dallas, she relocated to a relaxed lakeside community on Eagle Mountain Lake in Fort Worth. It was there that she met Mike McKay, a veteran engineer for the Fort Worth Fire Department. They shared a love and enthusiasm for adventure, travel, the outdoors and spending quality time with family and friends. They married on November 10th, 2007 at a beautiful sunset ceremony outside their lakeside home.

Sondra and Mike loved to travel, with a few of their favorite destinations being Puerto Vallarta Mexico and the mountains of Colorado. Desiring to escape the oppressive Texas summers, they explored several different mountain towns and ultimately decided to purchase a second home in Cotopaxi, near Salida, Colorado. Sondra and Mike loved spending summers there, fixing up and decorating the cabin. Many of Sondra and Mike’s extended family were frequent guests, as she loved playing host and entertaining everyone with a variety of activities including: rafting, hiking, cooking, playing farkle and exploring the adjacent charming mountain communities. They loved sitting on the balcony, watching the birds, turkeys and other wildlife, but perhaps most of all, the glorious sunrise and sunsets.

Sondra had a wonderful relationship with Mike’s son Jeff McKay, daughter Janet and her husband Mark Mikeska. She loved being a grandmother, and cherished the priceless moments shared with Janet and Mark’s little girls, Kylie and Mia, who called her “Cha-Cha.”

Sondra had a special bond with her parents, Nancy and Joe Stalcup and her sisters Cheri and Melinda. Throughout most of her adult life, she enjoyed countless family gatherings and Sunday lunches after church at the Stalcup home. This past Christmas Eve was an especially tough time for her extended Stalcup family, because for the first time Sondra was not there for food, fun and the appearance of Santa. The unconditional love and support of family was extremely important to her, and those were some of her happiest moments.

She is survived by her husband, Mike McKay; her parents Nancy Vaughn and Joe Stalcup; her beloved children Rachel Elizabeth Goodson and Stephen Stalcup Goodson; her sister Cheri Stalcup Ehley; and by her sole surviving uncle Maurice Fulton Vaughn; numerous nephews, nieces, and cousins; and innumerable friends. She is predeceased by her sister Melinda Stalcup Lundy; and 8 uncles or aunts and their spouses.

Sondra was a kind and gentle soul to everyone she met, and her infectious smile, laughter and loving spirit will live within all those whose lives she touched. She will be dearly missed, and will remain a force for good in her children and grandchildren’s lives.

Sondra’s generous nature was such that she was actively involved in numerous charities. In lieu of flowers, the family requests that memorial donations be made to: Northside Inter-Community Agency. 1600 Circle Park Blvd, Fort Worth, TX 76164. www.nicaagency.org, or GLAD Alliance, Inc. P.O. Box 44400

Indianapolis, IN 46244. www.gladalliance.org.

We will celebrate her life with a visitation in Fort Worth, Saturday December 26th, 2015, 3:00-5:00pm at Biggers Funeral Home, 6100 Azle Avenue, Lake Worth, Texas 76135.

A Memorial Service will be held in Dallas on Sunday, December 27th, 2015 at 3:00pm at East Dallas Christian Church, 629 North Peak Street, Dallas Texas 75246.