Patricia Ruth “Poppy” Linbeck Doyle

Patricia Ruth “Poppy” Linbeck Doyle died October 17, 2019. Born March 30, 1939, Poppy was a life-long member of the St. Anne’s Catholic Church.  She is survived by her husband of 53 years, Peter Gerald Doyle, two children, daughter Patricia Ruth Linbeck Doyle Dennis and husband Patrick Dennis, and son Matthew Garrett Doyle and wife Teresa McKeon Doyle, her three granddaughters, Payton Nell Dennis, Katherine Parker Dennis and Addison Lynn Doyle, and her two grandsons, Garrett Brenden Doyle and Pearce Edward Dennis, her sister Suzanne Reynolds, her sister-in-law Bette Linbeck , sister-in-law Susan and husband Mike Dunigan, brother-in-law James E. Doyle and wife Terzah, sister-in-law Kay Belle Conway, brother-in-law Thomas G. Doyle, sister-in-law Theresa Doyle, numerous nieces and nephews, great nieces and nephews, ten godchildren, and loyal caregivers Amy Loera, Mary Cerezo, Magda Balderas, Julie Jalandoni and Victor Jimenez her gardening partner.

She was preceded in death by her parents Patti Ruth Maloney Linbeck and Leo Edward Linbeck, her mother and father in law Katherine Belle Broussard Doyle and Gerald Purcell Doyle, brother-in-law, Fisher Reynolds, and her brother and sister-in-laws, Leo Linbeck, Jr. and Constance Belle Baird Linbeck.

Poppy loved God, her family, her country, her community and her many friends.  She also loved beautiful music, to dance, and flowers.  The time she spent working in her garden provided some of her happiest hours.

A fifth generation Texan and native Houstonian, she was a descendant of Texas pioneer Jesse Bartlett, who came from Tennessee to settle along the Brazos River with Stephen F. Austin in 1836.  She was a member of the San Jacinto Chapter of the Daughters of the Republic of Texas. 

She was a graduate of St. Anne’s Catholic School and St. Agnes Academy, where she was a class favorite.  She graduated from the University of St. Thomas, where she was elected Vice President of the Student Body in 1962.  She also received a certificate with academic recognition in Interior Design from The Design Institute of El Centro College in Dallas.  She was presented by Allegro in 1957. 

In 1966, she married the love of her life, Peter Gerald Doyle of Beaumont, a graduate of The University of Notre Dame, when he was attending Rice University to obtain his Master’s Degree in Architecture.

She and Peter moved to Dallas in 1973 when he was put in charge of the Dallas office of Linbeck Construction.  From there they moved to Tehran, Iran to open an office for Linbeck Middle East to perform work in Iran, Saudi Arabia and Kuwait. That adventure was followed by a year in Athens, Greece which was a great family experience.  They also traveled extensively to many countries including England, Ireland, all European countries, Russia, India, Kashmir, Malaysia, Pakistan, Afghanistan, Africa, Hong Kong, Singapore and Japan. 

In 1992, she was invested as a Dame of Magistral Grace of the American Association of the Knights of the Sovereign Military Order of Malta.  The Knights of Malta is the oldest lay order of Knighthood in the world, dating from 1099.  Its members are called to serve the poor and the sick.  She served as Chairman for the Order in the Diocese of Houston Galveston from 1993-1998.  In 1997, she was invested as a Lady of the Equestrian Order of the Holy Sepulcher of Jerusalem, whose mission is to support the Christian presence in the Holy Land.

She worked to educate the community about the humanity of the unborn child and was a founder of the Houston Right to Life Committee, which she served as Vice President; the Dallas Right to Life Committee, which she served as Secretary.  She could not understand why we could not love both the mother and the unborn child. 

Poppy was one of the founders of the St. Anne Catholic Church Guild, which she served as Vice President and President, a former member of the St. Anne School Board, which she served as Executive Vice President, and was a founding member of the board of the St. Anne School Foundation.  Poppy served on the Board of Trustees of the University of St. Thomas as well as the Board of the Center for Thomistic Studies at the University of St. Thomas.  She was a former member of the Charity Guild of Catholic Women, which she served as Vice President. 

Poppy was a founding member of the Endangered American Family, served on the Board and Executive Committee of the Houston Grand Opera, was a Charter Member and served as Vice President of the Houston Grand Opera Guild; she served twice as the Chairman of the Opera Ball; she was a former Board Member of the Houston Ballet Guild.  She was also a member and former Board Member of the Garden Club of Houston; a member and former President of the Women’s Association of River Oaks Country Club.  Poppy was a former member of the Advisory Board of the Houston Food Bank, a member of the Edna Gladney Auxiliary and served as the Chairman of the 25th Anniversary Celebration of the Texas Heart Institute.  She served as a member of the Coordinating Committee of the Capital Campaign of the University of St Thomas and served as the Chairman of the Chapel Steering Committee for the campaign.  She was named Distinguished Alumna of the University of St. Thomas in 1995.

The family would like to thank the staff at St. Luke’s Hospital, especially Dr. Reynolds Delgado, Dr. Ali Omranian and the nursing staff in the CCU for their kindness and compassion.

Friends are cordially invited to a visitation and reception with the family from five o’clock in the afternoon until eight o’clock in the evening on Monday, October 21, 2019 at Bradshaw-Carter Memorial & Funeral Services, 1734 West Alabama Street in Houston.  The Rosary will commence at half past six o’clock.  The Rite of Christian Burial will be celebrated at half past nine o’clock in the morning on Tuesday, October 22, 2019 at Co-Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, 1111 St Joseph Parkway Houston, Texas 77002.  A private family burial will follow.

In lieu of flowers, contributions may be sent to University of St Thomas, 3812 Montrose Blvd., Houston, Texas 77006, The St. Anne School Foundation, 2120 Westheimer Road Houston, Texas 77098, or The Texas Right to Life Educational Fund, 4500 Bissonnet Street, Ste. 305, Bellaire, Texas 77401.