Old Friend Visits to Celebrate a Life

The Rev. Eric Hungerford, beloved rector of the La Grange St. James Episcopal Church from 2014 to 2021, recently visited his old congregation at the iconic redon- yellow church across from H-E-B. The familiar church, which in on the National Historic Registry, was designed by R.M. Upjohn and built in 1885.

Father Hungerford was the overnight guest of Jimmy and Carol Helms at their beautiful ranch adjacent to the ersatz Old West cowboy town of “New Dubina” built by Jimmy and featured in the New York Times in 2010. One might expect he would have stayed at the equally historic home–– designed by the same architect as the church––of Pinky Wilson just catty cornered from the church on Colorado Street. But Pinky wasn’t there to host him this time. Father Hungerford was here to officiate at the celebration of the life of Pinky who had recently passed away.

Pinky was a “force of nature,” according to one presenter at her service. She was her husband John’s partner in his invariable path to the Texas governorship until he was tragically cut down by lung cancer in the 80s at the age of 43.

Among too many additional accomplishments to mention, Pinky was the doyenne of St. James, paving the way for the now award-winning preschool of the church. And the twenty-year tradition of the monthly smoked chicken cook and sales of the Holy Smokers would surely have foundered were it not for the contribution of “Pinky’s Pit” to Bob Hays and the Men’s Club way back then.

Father Hungerford’s lasting impression on the character of our community is also remarkable and likewise multifaceted. To this writer’s thinking, there is one case that truly stands out: his shepherding the Second Chance team through the destruction that was Hurricane Harvey, and the building of the sparkling new Second Chance building on Reynolds Street.

Two superstars. They’ve passed our way. We miss them both. But their legacy will always be with us.