Alma Fay Dillard, aged 100 years, passed away peacefully at home on May 23, 2026.  She was preceded in death by her parents Hubert Curtis and Alma Francis (Rippy) Shillingburg, her husband Melvin Leroy Dillard, her infant daughter Linda, and daughter Deborah Kay Hoppe.

Fay was born in Fort Worth on April 2, 1926, and lived there most of her life.  Her lifelong love of animals started as a child, as she cared for numerous pets growing up.  She graduated from Central (now Paschal) High School in 1943 and attended Texas Wesleyan College.  She married Mel on March 5, 1955.  They were married 30 years until his death in 1985.

For much of her life, Fay was a wife and homemaker.  Later she worked for many years as a bookkeeper for the Winters and Lacy accounting firm.  She taught the 3-year-old Sunday School class at Broadway Baptist Church.

Perhaps her highest vocation and calling was as a mother and grandmother.  This petite woman from the city loved camping trips with her family.  From Goose Island State Park to Jasper National Park, their gobi beige Chevy Impala chewed up the miles and successfully carted the Dillard family (including the family dog, Heidi) and Coleman tent from one campground to the next. After raising her two children, three generations of Shillingburg and Dillard women spent countless Saturday's shopping, cooking, and sewing their way through southwest Fort Worth, fortified by lunch at Carshon's or Braum's.  Their love and productivity led to Doodle Duds clothing for her grandkids, homemade tamales, and peach cobblers.  A recently rediscovered letter noted the delicious goodies she sent with her granddaughter to Pine Cove summer camp.

Her grandchildren are blessed with fond memories of growing up in Grandma Fay's overflowing love – sleepovers on a pallet on the living room floor, sewing clothes for American Girl dolls, carpools with the radio on the "40s on 4" music station.  She always kept a stash of Mason's favorite foods for his numerous visits to her home.

Fay is survived by her son and daughter-in-law, Preston Curtis and Kelly Diane Dillard of Fort Worth, son-in-law Terry Hoppe of Fort Worth, granddaughter Katherine Anne Dillard of New York, grandson and granddaughter-in-law Mason Henry Dillard and Allison Ann (Hay) Dillard of Conway, Arkansas, Grand dogs Ruby and Pearl, and a host of other relatives.

The family wishes to thank the staffs of Stephenson Oaks, Overture, and Journey Hospice for their love and care of "Miss Fay" over these last few years and their help in getting her to the 100-year milestone.

Visitation: 5:00 p.m. - 7:00 p.m. Thursday, May 28, 2026, Thompson & Son Chapel, 6009 Wedgwood Drive, Fort Worth, TX 76133.

Service: 2:00 p.m. Friday, May 29, 2026, Arborlawn United Methodist Church, 5001 Briarhaven Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76109.

Interment: Laurel Land Memorial Park, 7100 Crowley Rd, Fort Worth, TX 76134.

Alma's century of life was a testament to faith, family, and enduring love. She will be deeply missed and lovingly remembered by all who knew her.