Lillian Charlotte Boatwright

Lillian Charlotte Boatwright Lillian, or also known as Charlotte, passed away peacefully in her sleep in New Braunfels, Texas on October 31, 2016. She was 91. Lillian was born in Reed City, Michigan to Lloyd and Carrie Atkins on May 11, 1925. Lil, as many called her, was an excellent student and athlete and participated in many extracurricular activities in school where she played drums in the Elite Drum Corp in the marching band, was class secretary and a Campfire girl. She was also an accomplished pianist. She attended the University of Michigan and then became an Air Force officer's wife. Lillian travelled all over the world in the Air Force. She lived in Utah, Panama, Michigan, Germany, Japan, Virginia and Texas. Lil loved the role of an officer's wife and was so good at it. She made new friends constantly and within weeks of moving to a new base was involved in the Officer's Wives Club. Lil was very entertaining and often organized plays and skits to entertain the soldiers. She kept up with many of these people for years around the world. Lillian was talented at so many things. She was a gourmet cook and could whip up a dinner party for 10 in a few hours. Lil was especially talented at cooking Chinese and Japanese food which she studied in Japan. She was good at flower arranging and at mid-life, took up oil painting. She produced many beautiful paintings over the next decade. She was an excellent seamstress making her children's clothes and many costumes for all the plays. If Lillian had a passion, it was playing bridge with her friends. She was a fierce bridge player and loved the intellectual activity necessary to play with strategy and continued playing until just before her death. Lil was fun and always up for a good conversation. She talked to everyone and had a great sense of humor. For the past ten years she lived at Madison Estates in San Antonio where she was a social leader and chaired many resident committees. She loved everyone at Madison. She most recently attended the First Baptist Church of San Antonio and was a devout Christian. Lillian outlived her husbands, Captain Kenneth Smith, who died in action, and Colonel Harry Garrison. She also outlived her two sisters, Lenore Lamoreaux and Luella Rau. Lillian is survived by her daughters, Christina Lee Smith, of Sandpoint, Idaho and Nancy Paige Garrison, of New Braunfels, Texas. She is also survived by her nephews John Rau, David Rau and Gary Rau. Lillian's service will be held on Wednesday, November 2, 2016 at 1:00 p.m. at Ft. Sam Houston Military Cemetery. Lillian loved cats so donations in her memory can be made to the San Antonio Humane Society at 4804 Fredericksburg Rd., San Antonio, Texas 78229.