Alyce Jonene Dechman

March 23, 1936 - June 20, 2022

On Monday, June 20th, 2022, Jonene Dechman, loving mother of three children, passed away at the age of 86. Jonene was born on March 23rd, 1936, in Norman, OK, to John and Opal Martin. They soon moved to Texas City, TX, where she graduated high school as salutatorian and a debating champ. In 1958, she received her Bachelor of Science from the University of Oklahoma and married Donald Arthur Dechman. She enjoyed a brief career in medical laboratory science before dedicating herself as a full time mother to three sons: David, Kenneth and Jim. Jonene and Don enjoyed 63 years together, until his passing in September 2021 at age 86. Jonene loved caring for people and always put herself second to the needs and pleasures of others. She wanted everything to be perfect and spared no detail in her quest. A great pleasure was planning ahead for birthdays and holidays to insure that the lucky recipient had ample and thoughtful gifts. But most of all, she took great pride in her family and supporting their achievements and passions. Her hair turned gray in her mid-30's, and, having fun with it, she became a familiar face with her "before and after" picture on the front of the Lady Grecian formula hair coloring box, found for over a decade on drug store shelves everywhere. She loved tennis and was a competitive player. She enjoyed golf equally but in a more casual way, though she did enjoy a special "hole in one" moment. Jonene loved dancing with Don. Jonene had a passion for outdoor gardening and arranging flowers, playing bridge, music, and entertaining. Jonene was renowned for her homemade chocolate chip cookies, where the recipe never changed but each batch tasted totally different, though equally good. Jonene had a passion and skill for interior decorating, a handy skill as the family moved homes frequently due to Don's career promotions. She embraced the news of each move with a caring openness, selling the current just-decorated house and moving again, thus with a new project at hand and new friends to meet. In spite of the relocations, Jonene was a committed friend, and always made extra effort to keep those relationships alive over time, regardless of where she lived. Her health had been rock solid for 85 years, though in decline since Don died, and with an acceleration in recent weeks. But her calm, grateful and appreciative demeanor made it easier for all. She was easy to love and loved by many. Jonene was predeceased by her sister, Mari Lu Williams. She is survived by her brother, Bill Martin, her three sons with Don and their spouses, David (Michel Mercure), Ken (Antonio Favata), and Jim (Johnna Jones), a grandson John Grant Dechman, three nieces (Susan Way, Gayle Modrall, and Gretchen Schmetter), four great-nieces and nephews (Michael, Sarah, Nathan and Mia), and four bonus grandchildren (Natalie, Anthony, Harrison and Lulu Jones). There will be a private family burial in the coming days. Donations in her honor are welcomed by the Center for Child Protection in Austin. https://centerforchildprotection.org