Flo Wise

Florence Marie Levin Wise, age 82, passed away peacefully (11-2-18). A memorial service will be held 3:00 p.m., Sunday, November 18, at Dayspring Baptist Church, 7900 Renewal Way, in Waco. Flo was born in Portland, Oregon, to Milton C. Levin and Dorothy Elizabeth Payne Levin. She and her sister walked three blocks to school in all weather, even snow. In 1945 the family purchased a home in Tigard, OR, overlooking the Taulatin River. She rode her bike over a mile (wearing dresses) to a 4 room grade school to attend 6th, 7th, and 8th grades. Durham Grade School is now established as a State Historical Monument! Following graduation from Tigard High School in 1953, Flo worked for a year to earn money for college. She traveled alone by train, with a footlocker of clothes for the school year, to Santa Barbara, CA, to attend Westmont College. She made life-long friendships with roommates there. After two years, having depleted her funds, she took a secretarial job at a bank and shared an apartment rent with a childhood girl friend from Portland. While attending church one day, a Texan named John Wise saw her and commented to his friend, "if that girl was two inches shorter and could cook, I'm marry her". (And of course she did learn to cook and, in later years, became two inches shorter!) They married in 1957. They moved to Waco to attend Baylor and graduated in the summer of 1959. In September 1959, they moved to Marin County, CA, where John attended Golden State Seminary. Flo worked in a bank. They returned to Waco in January 1962, where John took courses for a PhD in Clinical Psychology. Flo worked as a secretary at General Tire for two years. Starting in September of 1965, they spent another year in CA, while John completed a rotating internship. He gave Flo the option of choosing where to finally settle and was surprised when she chose Waco. John began his private practice in Waco, and Flo was his secretary. In retirement years, John and Flo have pulled their fifth wheel camper to visit places in every state except MD, DE, and CA, the longest trip being six months. Flo is survived by her husband John, son Eric of Round Rock, and daughter Suzanne Long and husband Ron of Canton, and grandchildren Jackson Wise, Ashley, B.J., Johah, and Bailey Hardt, and Cooper, Camden, and Wyatt Long. The family invites you to leave a message or memory in our “Tribute Wall” at www.WHBfamily.com.