Toni Sue Wimberley
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Toni's obituary
Posted Sunday, May 5, 2024
Toni Sue Wimberley – June 13, 1956, to May 4, 2024 (68) – Resting In Peace
Beloved wife, mother, Grammy, daughter, sister, and friend - Toni made the instantaneous journey from this earth to the presence of Jesus in eternity Heaven at 8:15 pm on Saturday, May 4, 2024.
Toni was born on June 13, 1956, in the Oak Cliff section of south Dallas to Joe and Dorothy Miller. She attended Sunset High School, where she excelled at Bisonettes Drill Team, and aspired to attend The University of Texas, but this dream was not realized, much to her lifelong regret.
Toni met Bill Wimberley (truth be told, Bill fell in love with Toni at first sight and pursued her relentlessly) in the Summer of 1979. Two plus years later, Bill & Toni were married on September 19, 1981, at Calvary Baptist Church in Garland, Texas.
Toni was faithful in Christian service as a member of Calvary Baptist Church serving in several positions over many years including Secretary to an Assistant Pastor, Sunday School teacher of Sr. High School students, children’s Bible Drill teacher, Director’s Assistant for The Living Last Supper production, Vacation Bible School teacher, AWANA leader, various church committee’s member, and Project Manager of two major Together We Build Programs. Outside of her home church, Toni co-led the Austin city-wide Perspectives on the World Christian Movement program over several years, introducing 100's across the Austin area to Missions. Perhaps her most coveted and impactful position was Secretary to the Board of Directors for the Arab World Evangelical Ministers Association (AWEMA), based in Cairo, Egypt. During her tenure with AWEMA, Toni invited and led groups of American women to multiple Arab Women’s Conferences in various locations across N. Africa and the Middle East.
From relatively humble beginnings, Toni traveled the World with Bill, having visited multiple places in the Far East, Central Asia, Middle East, North Africa, U.A.E., and much of Western Europe. Toni visited the pyramids in Egypt, Petra in Jordan, the ancient Souks of Fez, Morocco and Istanbul, Turkey, the Biblical city of Ephesus in Turkey, the Coliseum in Rome, the Great Wall in China, Carthage in Tunisia, The Vatican in Rome, and many other sites of antiquity during her world travels. When Bill was called to an 18-month consulting project in Afghanistan, Toni insisted on foregoing the comforts of her USA home to join Bill and live for a season in the outskirts of Kabul, Afghanistan. As she did wherever she and Bill lived, she made their location “home” with her gifts of administration, organization, and hospitality.
Toni was not a classic risk-taker but did not shy away from challenges and life’s opportunities. She had a zest for life combined with a gently competitive spirit. She learned to ski on snow and water, ran 10k’s, cycled in Germany, mastered YOGA, paraglided off the Jungfrau range in Switzerland, and was a full “Black Belt” in shopping no matter where she was in the World!
However, Toni’s greatest achievements and passions were her roles as wife, mother, Grammy, and friend. Bill spent his entire career with various international high-tech companies, and this industry's volatility, demands, and pressure required Toni to have more patience and carry a greater responsibility as a wife and homemaker. She pulled this off with extraordinary grace and gentleness.
Toni proudly gave birth to Christina “Christi” Diann and Brian Christopher. Both children became successful, God-fearing adults and graced her and Bill with three wonderful grandchildren. Brent (25), Bailey (21), and Autumn (4). Brent and Bailey live in Austin, Texas, with Christi and her husband, Rob, whereas Brian and his wife, Kristen, and Autumn live in southern Bavaria, Germany. Enough cannot be said about the wonderful choices of spouses that both Brian and Christi made. Kristen was like a daughter to Toni, and Rob was like a son. Both spouses treated Toni more like a second mother than a mother-in-law. What a wonderful gift this was….and she knew it.
As is increasingly common, sometimes kids come home for a transition time after marriage. If you had asked Toni what the most beloved seasons of her life were, she would have said without hesitation, when Christi and her family moved in with us for a season and, separately, when Brian and his wife moved in with us for a season. Toni turned her house into a B&B hotel and loved every minute of the chaos. Precious memories were made during those periods and carried in Toni’s heart for the rest of her life.
Toni was always thrilled when Summer rolled around, and she could plan and host the aptly named “Camp Run-A-Muck” at the Wimberley home in Austin. This was where she invited her extended family from the Dallas area to spend a long weekend at her house and “run amuck,” eating and drinking, jet-skiing, boating, shopping, bowling, lounging, etc. She worked for days before and days after to make this a memorable weekend…..and it always was. She never really liked to cook, but she loved cooking for her family.
Toni dearly loved her extended family! She is survived by her younger brother, Roger, and her older sister, JoAnn. Each has been married for many years and has produced beloved nephews, nieces, and cousins.
Toni had a life-long desire that she carried to her dying day; to see her entire family again and spend eternity with them in Heaven. Having spent a lifetime passionately pursuing Christ and obtaining the absolute, unshakable certainty of her home in Heaven, she and Bill prayed for this for 40+ years. She also made sure Bill promised to do this after she was gone. You can be sure she has a heavenly “run-a-muck” in mind!
Toni learned of her cancer diagnosis and its incurable type in the early Spring of 2021 during a “routine” female checkup. The ensuing 3-1/2 years of chemo and radiation ravaged her body and severely damaged her health, yet despite this, her influence and impact on her family, friends, and complete strangers was nothing short of amazing. Instead of wallowing in her misery and crying out, “Why me God?” Toni went to work speaking about her faith, talking to strangers about her illness (not natural for an introvert), befriending and caring for her caretakers and doctors, and encouraging others through Facebook and Messenger who were facing similar health challenges. Instead of hardening her, the cancer softened her and motivated her. Almost like a glimpse of Heaven, God gave her small rewards here on earth. More times than she could count, strangers would stop her on the street, in a mall, or a restaurant, saying the kindest and most uplifting things you can imagine. Even in her hairless condition, without eyelids or eyelashes, people (including young children) would say, “You look so beautiful!” Shopkeepers would say, “Tell me your story.” Toni lived cancer well, and she did so because other Godly, praying women went before her and encouraged her. Thank God for Sherry Coleman, who preceded Toni in cancerous death but mentored her daily through the initial shock and surprise of this disease as she herself was on the same journey, but months ahead. Sherry and Toni are surely together in Heaven today!
Toni is survived by her husband, Bill, who remains father to Christi and Brian, “Pop” to Brent, Bailey, and Autumn, and a perpetual member of the Miller and English families on Toni’s side. Bill’s younger brother, Gary, and his wife, Janet, along with their children, Cassie, Garrett, and Ashley, their spouses and children, reside in North Texas. Once family, always family.
A special appreciation is sincerely expressed to the following organizations that lovingly cared for Toni. The “angels” of 1) Texas Oncology, 2) Austin Palliative Care, 3) Hospice Austin, and 4) Medicare/Aetna Supplemental. Yes, even her insurance plan, recommended by a dear Christian friend, was a Godsend and covered 98% of the extraordinary costs of cancer care over 3+ years.
A heartfelt thanks to Ms. Shirley Morris (now 91), Toni's lifelong mentor, encourager, and prayer-warrior.
Also, thank God for the Prayer Warriors who stood beside Toni and Bill while battling this terrible disease. They are far too numerous to list, and located all over the World, but may God bless them all for their faithfulness in intercession.
As decided long before her death, Bill arranged a Celebration of Life for Toni. All of her family attended along with her lifelong friends from Calvary Baptist Church.
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