THERESA LYNN GATHERCOLE MENENDEZ

Theresa Lynn Menendez was the type of person you could meet for the first time and feel like it had been a lifetime of friendship. She was the type of person who could walk into any room and shine in a way sunlight does when it dances through the trees’ canopies, shimmers upon the oceans’ waves and glistens on plant life kissed by the early morning dew. She was warm and compassionate, thoughtful and strong, kind and loving, and when the situation called for it, firm and fierce. Terry poured every ounce of herself into the things she believed in and the people she loved. She cultivated, watered, nourished and grew those around her and produced a garden blossoming with life - from the east to west coast – and everywhere in between. Never did she let anyone settle for or aim for anything less than what she thought they deserved and were capable of. She was a powerful, unapologetic supporter of all things she believed in, resolute in nature and pranced through life with a fearless conviction and a tenacity that remains unmatched. She was an illustrious woman with a knack for remarkable storytelling to all she came across. She shared her life in a way that made those listening feel like they’ve known her all their lives. Born in 1957 to Dana Dorris McLean and George Edwin Critzer, Theresa Lynn Critzer made her way into the world in Louisville, Kentucky. She was the youngest of four and emitted a vivacious spirit that magnetized people to her the way the moon draws the waves. Only in Kentucky for a short period, Terry spent most of her prime years, from early childhood to young adulthood, in the beautiful state of Virginia. No stranger to adventuring into the unknown, she traveled down to Florida where she became a mother of her firstborn son, Jason Gathercole. After time in the Sunshine State, she moved to the mountains of Tennessee and built a home and community with her family. Not long after that, she grew her family and had her first daughter, Bekah Gathercole. After Tennessee, she, Jason and Bekah, moved to Las Vegas, Nevada where she met and married her husband, Gabriel Phillip Menendez. Not long after their union, did she and Gabe welcome their first child together into the world, Kathryn Menendez. A few years later, they welcomed their last child, Anna Menendez. Eventually relocating back to Florida, Terry spent her last years of life with her family in the homestead she and Gabe built in Tallahassee. Fierce in her love, Terry was many things, but most importantly, she was unequivocally devoted. She was devoted to her husband, her children, her grandchildren, and to all those she cared about. She was an adored daughter, a dedicated sister, a loving mother and grandmother, and an inspiration to many. You can find her today in oaks curtained with Spanish moss and sprawling limbs, a crisp summer breeze on a day so warm, a whisper in a Jackson Browne song, or a small flower, with a curled and coiled stem, sprouting from a crack in the sidewalk. Terry is survived by her husband, four children, her four grandchildren – Ellie, Jenna, Kally and Lochlainn and her fur babies – Monty and Finnley, and one grandturtle - Nigel. Terry left our world on Friday, Oct 11, 2024, peacefully and into the night. Terry’s celebration of life will be held on January 11, 2025 in Tallahassee, Florida. Additional details to come. In lieu of flowers, if you would like to contribute to the ceremony, please consider donating to St Jude’s in honor of Terry. Thank you. The family is being cared for by Jackie Fulford and James Sircy of Young Fulford Funeral Home and Crematory, Tallahassee, Florida. 850.610.4444

THERESA LYNN GATHERCOLE MENENDEZ

January 10, 1957 - October 11, 2024