Nova Wyly Vaughn

Nova Wyly Vaughn, age 101, of Amarillo passed away on July 31, 2026.

Nova Wyly Vaughn was born near Lockney, Texas, in rural Floyd County, the fifth of the seven children of Jim and Alta Wyly. When she was three years old, her family moved to western Deaf Smith County, where she attended the three-room Messenger School through the seventh grade. She later attended Friona High School, graduating in 1941 at the age of sixteen.

There were four major traumatic events that tested and proved the faith of the Nova and the Wyly family. First was a fatal car wreck that killed her father, Jim, and severely injured Nova. The wreck occurred on Sunday, October 20, 1929, on the way home from church. The wreck was caused by a design flaw and assembly failure at the GM plant. Nova had just turned 5 years. The prognosis was that she would probably not walk and then that she would only walk with assistance. Over time, with traction therapy, she made a complete recovery.

The second event occurred four days after the first. On October 24, 1929, the US Stock Market started five days of panic selling that resulted in a crash on Black Tuesday. The crash started the Great Depression. The Depression only ended with the military build up before World War II.

The third event was the Dust Bowl. After two years of drought in West Texas, the tsunamis of sand and dirt began in 1930. What appeared to be a beautiful day, if looking to the south and east, became horrific when looking north and west. What appeared to be black blizzards towering 500 to 8,000 feet tall seemed to come from nowhere. Death and destruction followed. The Dust Bowl was thought to be a regional problem, until dust from West Texas covered Washington DC. The storms ended by 1941.

The fourth event was World War II. The war began in Europe in 1939. The US entered the war on December 8, 1941, after Japan bombed Pearl Harbor. Nova was a freshman at Texas Tech. Soldiers marched on the Parade Field on campus. Airplanes flew over Lubbock in training for the war. The last three of these events had an impact on the world. All four events had a serious impact on a fatherless family trying to make a living on a dryland farm on west end of Deaf Smith County. However, by the grace of God, these events formed an enduring faith in and love for the Lord.

In the fall of 1941, as the Depression and Dust Bowl were ending and WWII was beginning, Nova moved to Lubbock enrolled at Texas Tech University. At age 16 she met her college sweetheart, Odell Purdy. He was 17 years old. They dated, then married in August 1944. She taught elementary school for four years in Lampasas and Seagraves, Texas. While living in Seagraves, Odell and Nova started their family. Ira was born in 1948 and Mevanee in 1949. They moved to Turkey, Texas, where Alan was born in 1954.

The family moved to Amarillo in 1955 where all the children started school. Nova was a devoted mother. The family was busy in church, school and community activities. She was a Room Mother, Brownie Leader and PTA officer. She also continued her education during those years.

In 1968, the family moved to Fort Worth, Texas. Nova completed a degree from Texas Women’s University in Home Economics and taught homemaking and health in Haltom City, Texas.

In 1972, she and Odell moved back to Lubbock. With her children in college and graduate school, Nova began a career with the Texas Department of Human Services (TDHS). She and Odell divorce in 1974.

Nova began her career with the State working in Children’s Protective Services. She was promoted to Adoption Social Worker. She loved working with families and children. Later, she was hired to be a Regional Coordinator of Volunteer Services. The program developed and implemented volunteer services in the West Texas Region covering seventy counties and 65,000 square miles. Her work included recruiting and training volunteers and employees of TDHS. She helped establish the department’s Care Corps program. The Volunteer Program was recognized statewide for the number of volunteers, the number of hours and the number of projects they completed. She finished her career in the TDHS as a Contract Manager. She was part of a great team who managed millions of dollars to fund programs for Community Development. She loved working with programs that helped children. She enjoyed her colleagues, especially her Supervisors, Carroll Lindeman and John Noyes. She retired in 1990.

Retirement did not mean slowing down. Nova knew and supported missionaries Kirk and Susan Hayes and Shawn and Linda Tyler. She joined them to teach the children of several families who lived in the mission community at Kitale, Kenya. She was a teacher during the 1990-91 school year. Nova returned to Amarillo served on the board of the Christian Relief Fund, (CRF). In that role she continued her commitment to missions helping families and children as they shared the Good News about Jesus throughout the world.

Serving on the CRF Board she was reacquainted with a long-time family friend, M. Kenneth “Ken” Vaughn. He was widowed. She had been single for 17 years. Her favorite saying during those years was, “It takes a mighty good man to beat no man at all.” In the summer of 1992, she added to that saying, “And Ken Vaughn is a mighty good man!” They married in a joyous ceremony on December 27, 1992. Their marriage brought together a large, blended family of eight children and spouses, a growing number of grandchildren and great-grandchildren. The number of cards, letters and photos of family members prove beyond doubt that she loved and was loved by her big family.

Nova and Ken had a joyful and productive 22 years of marriage. In the early years they traveled to Africa multiple times to teach, build and serve the missionary teams and the beautiful people of Kenya and Uganda. She helped organize the only free library in Kampala, Uganda. She helped start CRF project for orphans in Kenya. Their mission was to spread The Good News. The most important thing in Nova’s life was her belief that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. She loved the LORD. All else sprang from that faith and love. Education and servicing others typified Nova’s life. She helped with food programs, wrote grant proposals for the CRF. She was active in Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

Nova and Ken loved traveling especially to family reunions. Nova enjoyed reading, sewing, and cooking. Her pecan chocolate-chip cookies were addictive and loved by family and friends.

She was preceded in death by her parents, Jim and Alta Wyly; her five brothers: Wilson, Porter, Bob, Elton and Duane, and her sister, Myrtice.

She is survived by her three children and their spouses: Ira and Linda Purdy, Mevanee and Phill Parmer, Alan and Vickie Purdy; her Vaughn children, David and Jan, Susan, Kenny and Carol, Deb Greer and Jim Robbins, Mark and Freda; nine grandchildren and nine step-grandchildren, all much-loved; great-grandchildren too numerous to count, and many extended family members and friends.

The visitation will be Tuesday, August 4, 2026 from 5:30 p.m. to 7 p.m. at Boxwell Brothers at 2800 Paramount Blvd, Amarillo. A service celebrating Nova’s life will be held at 2:00 p.m., Wednesday, August 5, 2026 at Boxwell Brothers Ivy Chapel. Burial will be on Thursday, August 6, 2026 at 10:30 a.m., at the Friona Cemetery (Take US Highway 60 West to County Road 19. Follow it to County Road G.) Arrangements are by Boxwell Brothers Funeral Directors. 

In lieu of flowers, memorial gifts may be made to Central Church of Christ Missions Fund or the Christian Relief Fund.