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Obituaries published in the August 2025 edition of the Texas Press Messenger.

JOYCE ANN ASHLEY

VERNON - Joyce Ann Ashley, long-time member of The Vernon Daily Record staff, died at her residence on July 20. She was 82.

“She was a respected journalist, and a true Christian servant to her community,” said Publisher Daniel Walker. “She loved to write, she loved to tell stories and she was very good at it. And she loved her church. She believed in being a servant and contributed in every way possible to Vernon’s Methodist Church.”

She was the family life editor of the Vernon Record for more than 50 years, including a two-year stint in the 1960s, and then from 1974 until retiring in 2024. She also served a two-year-stint as managing editor before semi-retiring. She loved her job and the people she met. She had a special care in writing the obituaries for thousands of her fellow Vernonites.

Her love for Vernon and its people came out in the stories she wrote. She was most proud of writing the story of Peggy Harris, and her missing WWII husband. The story eventually made national news and was featured on the CBS Evening News. She was also a frequent contributor, through a pen name, for

Chicken Soup for the Soul.

Joyce’s dedication and ethics led her to being recognized as Vernon’s Citizen of the Year in 2005, and she received special recognition as the Doan’s Picnic Honoree in 2023. Her work led the Vernon Record to being named the best daily newspaper in Texas in 2017, and best weekly in Texas in 2023 and 2024.

She loved her church, and her church family. She was a faithful member of Vernon’s First Methodist Church, donating her time and money to supporting its ministry. 

She is survived by her husband of more than 50 years Charles Ashley, three children, six grandchildren and other relatives.

Memorial service was held July 23 at First United Methodist Church in Vernon. Memorials may be made to the church.

KYM FOX

BOERNE – Kym Fox, professor of practice and coordinator of the graduate instructional assistants in the School of Journalism and Mass Communication (SJMC) at Texas State University, died on July 19 at age 65 after a battle with cancer.

For more than 20 years, Fox led the journalism major program and served as program coordinator. She developed and taught undergraduate and graduate courses, including data journalism and the journalism capstone course.

“It’s difficult to imagine the journalism world without Kym Fox,” said Dr. Judy Oskam, professor and director of the journalism school. “The legacy and spirit of Professor Fox will live on in the many students and faculty she has mentored over the years at Texas State.”

Fox moved from the newsroom to the classroom after spending 23 years as a daily journalist. She worked at the San Antonio Express-News before joining the Texas State faculty in 2002. For most of her 18 years at the paper, she covered courts and legal affairs.

Fox worked at the Mesa Tribune as a copy editor, section editor and reporter after graduating with a bachelor’s degree in journalism from Arizona State University. She also earned a master’s degree from the University of the Incarnate Word in San Antonio.

As a reporter, she earned awards for coverage of child abuse and juvenile justice as well as state honors for news and feature writing.

Fox was a member of the Society of Professional Journalists (SPJ) since college. She was a former national board member and had been honored with the SPJ President’s Award for her work with the #Press4Education initiative, which serves scholastic journalism.

She also advised the Texas State student SPJ chapter for several years, and she loved helping with the SPJ San Antonio chapter’s annual fundraiser, Gridiron. She also was a member of Investigative Reporters and Editors.

Fox was a fellow with the university’s Translational Health Research Center and a founding director of Texas Community Health News. She was honored twice with the Texas State University Presidential Award for Excellence, for service in 2008 and for teaching in 2013.

“Professor Fox was a dedicated servant and leader who mentored students, faculty, and journalists around the world,” said Dr. John Fleming, dean of the College of Fine Arts and Communication. “With her people-first approach, she understood the big picture and the smallest of details.”

To honor her legacy, a scholarship has been established in her name. The Kym Fox Endowed Scholarship in Journalism and Mass Communication will provide funding for graduate students in SJMC.

FREDDY LEONARD GRAY

CLARENDON – Freddy Leonard Gray, award-winning columnist for The Clarendon Enterprise, died June 11 at the age of 77.

A native of Clarendon, he earned a bachelor of business administration degree from the University of Texas at Arlington.

Most of his career was spend in sales. In early years, he worked in capital markets as an institutional fixed-income investment salesman. In later years he sold products and services for corporate leadership and business functions.

A big soccer fan, he also served as public relations director for the Salt Lake City Sting, a short-lived soccer team based in Salt Lake City, Utah in the early 1990s.

Gray was a student of history and loved reading about and discussing the subject. He was a keen political observer and was not afraid to express his opinions.

After retirement, he returned to Clarendon where he signed on as a columnist, reporter and sportswriter for The Clarendon Enterprise in 2012. In 2013, his writing helped the Enterprise win the first place best editorial page award from the West Texas Press Association and his column, The Quick, The Dead and Fred, won first place in column writing.

He is survived by his three children, five grandchildren and other relatives and friends.

MICA RAE WILHITE PALMER

LITTLE ROCK, ARK – Mica Rae Wilhite Palmer, 51, former publisher of the Jefferson Jimplecute, died May 6, 2025, following a lengthy battle with metastatic breast cancer.

A native of Little Rock, she married former Mount Pleasant Tribune Publisher Robert L. Palmer on April 10, 2022.

A statistician and an educator, Mrs. Palmer attained a bachelor of science degree in mathematics and a master of science degree in statistics from the University of Arkansas. She earned a master of business administration degree from the University of Texas in Austin.

Her multi-faceted career included stints as a management consultant with the Gallup Organization, Mary Kay Cosmetics and J.B. Hunt trucking. Starting as a movie reviewer in 2016 she began her association with the Jefferson Jimplecute where she became publisher. As a tutor she mentored hundreds of students of all levels on the mysteries of the null hypothesis. A member of Bible Study Fellowship for more than 20 years, Mica served as a team leader.

Her treatment for cancer began 2021 in Dallas and the Palmers moved to Rochester, Minnesota, where she received chemotherapy and radiation treatments at Mayo Clinic.

In addition to her husband, Mrs. Palmer is survived by her husband Robert Palmer of Rochester, she is survived by her parents, siblings and other relatives.

A celebration of life was held July 7 at Trinity Presbyterian Church in Little Rock. Interment followed at Little Rock National Cemetery.