Lucita Etheridge

Lucita (Lucy) Etheridge, an Odessan of 42 years; a beautiful and loving wife, sister, caregiver and friend, passed away in Odessa on Wednesday, November 18, 2020. She was 78 years young.

Lucy was born on June 23, 1942 to Marcelo L. Madronero and Fructusa C. Madronero in Dimiao, Bohol, Republic of the Philippines.  She was raised in Dimiao by her farming family, and then as a teen, moved to Manilla to live with relatives, continuing her education at San Francisco High. Her goal in life was to become a Midwife; to this goal she worked at the U.S. Naval base in Subic Bay with her sister. She worked at the base hospital and base restaurants. It was here she met her husband to be. They were married in Olongapo on April 26,1970 and returned to the U.S. that same year,

and with John’s Naval service complete, they moved to Dallas, John’s hometown.

Lucy continued her career goals working as a nurse’s aide at Baylor Medical Center and

Wadley Children Hospital while in Dallas. Following work opportunities, Lucy and John moved to Odessa in 1977. Her sad experience caring for terminally ill children led Lucy to return to food service where she worked for Taco Villa for 15 years. Yearning to return to caregiving and her longtime goal, she enrolled at Odessa College and became a Surgical Technologist. She then joined the Labor and Delivery team at Medical Center Hospital retiring after 15 years.  She achieved her goal of helping deliver babies. Lucy loved babies.

Lucy brought her dad, who had severe cataract damaged eyes here to Odessa and surgically had them repaired with lens implants. She also had him recognized as a volunteer war veteran and granted U.S. Citizenship. Lucy was an adventurer. She loved the outdoors, hiking, camping and fishing with her husband. On various trips throughout their marriage, they made vacation trips from here to Florida, Nova Scotia, Victoria Island, San Diego, Alaska and back to the Philippines. She was proud to claim that they had hiked every trail in the Davis Mountain State Park.

Lucy was a devout Catholic and attended Mass at Holy Redeemer in Odessa. She was enrolled as a Perpetual Member of St. Joseph’s Mass League. She loved to attend Mass at different places as she and John traveled.

Lucy is preceded in death by her parents.

She is survived by her husband, John Etheridge; and her two sisters, Glenna Malong and Irene Magadan, including their families.

Funeral Services, including a visitation and mass are scheduled for Monday, December 14, 2020, at St. Mary’s in Odessa, with the visitation beginning at 1:00 PM and the mass at 2:00 PM.

If you wish to make donations, please consider St Jude’s Children Hospital or The Odessa Food Bank.

We want to offer special thanks to the caring staff nurses and doctors at Medical Center Hospital, Parks Senior Living and Sunset Memorial Gardens.