Harry Hoyt Lacey III

FINAL OBITUARY

Harry Hoyt Lacey III was born on Sunday, February 3, 1935, in Dallas, Texas, to Helen Hortense Rounseville Lacey, age 33, and Harry Hoyt Lacey Jr, age 38. His father, Harry Lacey Jr ran a successful car dealership, Strayhorn-Lacy Buick, with three locations in Oak Cliff.

Harry attended Highland Park High School. While there he served as a cadet captain in the R.O.T.C, and as a member of the National Honor Society. He acted as the editor of his school paper and was active in the Dramatic Society. Harry developed an interest in the church at an early age, having his mother give him a ride to and from Sunday services that she did not attend.

Harry Hoyt Lacey III was a Princeton graduate, Class of 1957, A.B. degree. He served as Technical Director with the Theater Intime  and a member of the Prospect Club. Being a Princeton Graduate was one of his most defining moments. He spoke of his time there fondly and often, and remembered with great clarity the Saucer Magnolia right outside his bedroom window during his Sophomore year. Harry began teaching at the Taft School in Watertown Connecticut in 1959 and continued till 1961.

Harry Hoyt Lacey married Linda Ann Harsch in 1961 in Dallas, TX. The couple honeymooned in New Orleans, LA before moving to North Carolina, where they continued their post graduate studies. While living in North Carolina, their only son, Jonathan, was born in 1963.

The family moved from North Carolina to Oklahoma CIty where Harry taught at the Casady School from approximately 1967 - 1969. In 1969 Harry moved his young family to Wisconsin where he studied Divinity at Nashotah House Theological seminary. He was awarded his Masters in Divinity from Nashotah House in 1972.

In 1972 Harry, and family moved to Dallas Texas where Harry joined the clergy at Saint Luke’s Episcipal Church where he served till 1978. At that time Harry and Linda separated and Harry eventually left the Episcapal Church and converted to Catholicism. During this time Harry was not teaching or directly involved in administering for the church. He focused his time on reading, poetry and socializing with friends. During this time he developed strong relationships of great personal significance.

In 1981, Harry returned to teaching as Professor of Greek, Latin and Literature at the College of Saint Thomas More in its founding year. He and Linda reconciled and she eventually joined him, teaching at the College. They taught at The Lady Margaret Roper School at the College of St. Thomas More in Fort Worth until her passing in 2007. Harry continued teaching and tutoring part time until he retired fully to Dallas, Texas to be near his son and grandson in 2019.

Harry was a true fan of art, literature and music. He loved dance and theater, particularly the work of Bob Fosse and Gwen Verdon. He enjoyed all types of music, but especially bluegrass and bands such as the Carter Family and the Blue Sky Boys, blues and musicians such as Leadbelly, and jazz, most especially Jelly Roll Morton.

Harry loved all creatures of the earth, but cats always held a special place in his heart. He had many wonderful feline friends throughout his life.

"It is in the imaginative world of literature that we turn to attend to human existence and knowledge carried to the heart. Imagination, literature, and poetry are our occupation and activity as we live our lives, and they in turn reflect those lives in their images—the perennial human occupation being one of exile, of homelessness, of wayfaring: “Foxes have holes, and birds of the air have nests; but the Son of Man has nowhere to lay his head” (Luke 9:58). We are, all of us, searching for our lost country" - Harry Hoyt Lacey, 2013

Harry is survived by his son, Jonathan Hale Lacey, and his grandson, Ethan Hale Lacey.