Amanda Magner Waring
It is with tremendous sorrow that we announce the death of our mother, Amanda Magner Waring. Born Amanda Mary Magner, she passed away peacefully on November 5, 2019, in Dallas, Texas at the age of 62. Diagnosed in 2012 with Stage IV breast cancer, she significantly beat the odds of survival. Under the circumstances, it is easy to feel as though our prayers have not been answered, but truly we were blessed to have enjoyed nearly eight years with her after her diagnosis, during most of which she was completely free of pain or symptoms of any kind. An intensely private person, few of her family and friends knew of her illness, much less the gravity. We are grateful she was able to find solace in her final days with family and friends, of whom she had many.
A pious Catholic, Amanda was particularly devoted to Bl. Father Francis Seelos, a Redemptorist priest who shepherded St. Mary’s Assumption Parish in New Orleans through the yellow fever epidemic of 1867. Her lifelong devotion to Father Seelos was due to her grandfather, John Ferran, with whom she regularly attended Mass at St. Mary’s Assumption. Her grandfather was a defining force in her life, and she departed this world with the full faith that he would be awaiting her with open arms.
Amanda was born in New Orleans and graduated from Archbishop Chapelle High School and Louisiana State University, where she was a member of Zeta Tau Alpha and a Phi Kappa Theta sweetheart. She remained a loyal Tigers fan for life, and on her deathbed continued to respond to the LSU fight song. She was an avid skier and tennis player in her youth. After working several jobs, she devoted herself wholly to the care of her home and children. She provided them an idyllic childhood, with summers filled with golf followed by swimming and family dinner beneath the New Orleans Country Club oak tree. She used to enjoy listening to the afternoon rain on which one can depend in New Orleans, in the company of her children. She endured a divorce and Hurricane Katrina, after which she and her children relocated to Texas. She remained a proud New Orleanian to her death, and freely offered travel and dining advice to her attending physicians and nurses in Dallas. She was particularly fond of Angelo Brocato’s desserts. She shared many laughs with many friends and was always ready to help others at any expense. She possessed the unique ability to make everyone feel loved, in no small part because she genuinely loved most people. She also had a tremendous sense of humor. She was the most wonderful mother anyone could wish for and we will miss her dearly. We consider ourselves blessed to have shared nearly 30 years with her, and we trust her spirit will continue to comfort and guide us until we meet again.
Amanda was active civically and socially everywhere she lived. She was a member of New Orleans Country Club and the Orléans Club of New Orleans. She particularly enjoyed Carnival balls, Mardi Gras parades, and leading the second line anytime, anywhere. She was a maid in the now-defunct women’s Krewe of Venus. Amanda was a member of the Dallas Symphony Orchestra League, the Thalia Club of Dallas, the Calliope Club of Dallas, the Women’s Council of the Dallas Arboretum, the Southern Methodist University Mothers’ Club Board, Chi Omega Mother’s Club, P.E.O., and the Salvation Army Dallas. She was formerly a member of Westwood Country Club and Lost Creek Country Club in Austin, Texas.
Amanda was preceded in death by her grandparents, John Patrick Ferran and Pearl Semel Ferran and Alvin Gerard Magner, Sr. and Nora Johnston Magner. She is survived by her parents, Alvin Gerard “Sonny” Magner, Jr. and Joan Ferran Magner; her sisters, Melinda Magner Andrews (Patrick) and Samantha Magner Burkhardt (Jeffrey); her adoring children, Houstoun Gerard Waring and Hayley Cecilia Waring; and her ex-husband, Patrick Houstoun Waring, M.D. She is also survived by her nephews, Travis Magner Andrews, Tyler Magner Andrews, and Johnston Jeffrey Burkhardt. Amanda was particularly fond of her ex-father-in-law, William Winburn Waring, M.D., who was likewise fond of her. They remained close until her passing. Dr. Waring survives her as well.
A memorial Mass will be celebrated at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans on Friday, November 15, at 1:30 p.m. Her family will receive guests at the Cathedral from 1:00 p.m. until Mass, and a reception will be held following Mass.
A memorial reception for her many Texas friends was held in Dallas on Tuesday, November 12.
