Dorothy McNiel

Dorothy Vernon McNiel, 94, passed away July 15, 2026, at home.

Services will be held Friday, August 28, 2026, at 2:00 p.m. at Wilkirson-Hatch-Bailey Funeral Home, 6101 Bosque Blvd., Waco, Texas, with Rev. David Villarreal officiating. A reception will be held immediately after the service in the Garden Room.

Dorothy was born and grew up in San Antonio, Texas. She graduated from Harlandale High School. She was the first member of her family to attend college, and graduated from Hardin-Simmons University, paving the way for her sisters Barbara and Nancy.

She married the love of her life, James Riley McNiel (Jim) in June 1954. Dorothy and Jim lived in Texas, New York, Oklahoma, Saudi Arabia and Iowa. They were active members of Christian churches wherever they lived.

Dorothy and Jim were committed to serving God the best they could wherever they lived. While in Iowa, they attended the Church Music Week conference each summer at Glorieta Conference Center, to bring new music to the church they were serving (Jim as organist, Dorthy as choir director). Dorothy taught Sunday School, directed music and served on many committees in the churches wherever they lived. Dorothy also enjoyed serving others in her community as a member of the Trinity Hospital Auxiliary and as president of the Fort Dodge Senior High School Band Boosters.

Following Jim’s death in 1984, Dorothy moved to Waco, Texas in 1987, where she worked at Baylor University in the Baptist Student Ministry until her retirement 2007. Her hobbies included church music, especially choral music, antiques, and playing Sequence with her friends.

After moving to Waco, Dorothy was an active member of Columbus Avenue Baptist Church, teaching the Senior Adult Ladies Sunday School class and singing in the Worship Choir and Senior Adult Choir. She worked in the nursery caring for infants so their parents could worship without worrying about their babies. She continued to attend Glorieta Church Music Week as she was able.

In her later years, she became homebound but continued to stay in touch with her friends and Sunday School classmates. She relished visitors and telephone calls from her friends and family.

Many thanks to the caregivers from Visiting Angels and Compassus Hospice who supported Dorothy and enabled her to stay in her home.

Dorothy was preceded in death by her husband, James McNiel; son, Samuel McNiel; parents, Frank and Lillian Howry; and sister Nancy Gandy.

She is survived by her daughters, Carolyn Fairchild and Martha McNiel; grandchildren, James Fairchild, and his wife, Sara Beth Stoltzfus and Joy Fairchild, and her husband, Tommy Gray; sister Barbara Wester and numerous nieces and nephews.

Memorials may be made to DreamPower Horsemanship, 7445 Crews Rd, Gilroy CA, 95020 http://dreampowerhorsemanship.com/donate or the charity of your choice.

The family invites you to leave a message or memory for Dorothy McNiel in her “Memorial Guestbook” at www.WHBfamily.com.