Jinny (Green) Lee

Whether you knew her as Mom, Grandma Jinny, Aunt Jinny, Mama Jinny, Mrs. Lee, or simply as Jinny, you knew you had a true friend, true love or unconditional bond that will outlast her life here on earth.

Jinny, born Barbara Jinny Green on August 12, 1953 in Williston, North Dakota to Vernon Lee Green (d.1999) and Martha Katherine Rodman Green (d. 1993). She was the youngest of the Green’s three children. Her brother, Billy Joe preceded her in death in 2018. Her sister, Susan Sharp of Florida survives her. Jinny had three half-sisters, but to her they were her sisters, period. Not once would she introduce Judy Tyler (d. 2002) and Joyce Ann Tyler (d. 2009) who were from her mother’s first marriage, or Linda Littlefield (d. 2011) who was from her father’s previous marriage, as anything other than her big sisters.

Jinny was an infant when the family would move from North Dakota to Texas, following her father’s jobs around the Rio Grande Valley, up to Oklahoma, then finally settling in South Texas. Corpus Christi, Texas would be where she would plant some roots, graduating from Mary Carroll High School in 1971.

Less than two years later, she met C. David Hall (d. 2002) and the two quickly fell in love. Within a few months, the two married on April 14, 1973 in a small ceremony in Corpus Christi. She often joked about how her family was convinced a baby was on the way, feeling as though there must be a reason for the rush. Four years later, on October 1, 1977, she’d prove them right with the birth of their first child, a daughter named Rebecca Ann Hall.

David was an ambitious banker at the time, and moved the family to Conroe, Texas just outside of Houston for a job opportunity. Two years after the birth of their daughter, they welcomed a son, Charles David Hall Jr on December 10, 1979. Less than two weeks after leaving the hospital with their newborn and a two-year-old at home, Jinny was hosting Christmas dinner for the family at their home. Nothing made her happier than a room filled with family and friends.

Now a family of four, they moved back to Corpus Christi at the start of the ‘80s, ultimately buying Jinny’s mom, Kay Green and David’s parents, RB and Roylene Hall new homes close to their own, so the grandparents could be close to their new grandchildren. More aunts, uncles, cousins and friends would fill the 5 square mile area of town, creating the family circle Jinny had always wanted. For years, Kay’s house would be overflowing with relatives playing in Scrabble tournaments on the Saturday before Thanksgiving. A few days later, family members would fill RB and Roylene’s house. Christmas Eve was always Jinny’s favorite holiday. Relatives of relatives, friends of friends – everyone – would fill the family home and Jinny’s smile would brighten the room more than the lights on the tree. Jinny always had a secret stash of gifts she could grab for any unexpected guests during the holidays. No one ever left her house empty-handed. By Chrismas morning, she’d be up with her kids, coffee in one hand, instructions for whatever toy Santa had left in another. She’d sit on the floor with her kids and pretend to be surprised at every gift they would show her. Even after her kids were grown, she always left a little something from Santa on Christmas morning – a tradition carried on today by her daughter.

In addition to being a wonderful mom to Rebecca and Charles, Jinny was pursuing her passion for photography, attending classes at Del Mar College, adding a darkroom to the barn; all while she was also serving on the board of directors for Bayview Federal Savings, Formations Oil & Gas Co., and Mission Valley Gas Gathering.

In the late 80s, everything changed for the Hall family. As David and Jinny were busy building a home outside of Kerrville for the family to move later that year, David’s father unexpectedly died a few days before Christmas in 1988. Jinny didn’t think twice about adjusting the plans for their new home and added rooms to the house for Roylene to be able to live with them.

She pulled together the funds to buy Moto Photo on Junction Hwy in Kerrville, renaming it Hill Country One Hour Photo and made a name for herself in Kerrville. In the years she owned the “photo shop” as she called it, she provided services at no cost whenever she felt it necessary. For years, she refused to charge Tivy High School for a single yearbook or newspaper photograph, covered the YO Social, military balls and local proms. Many high school seniors had their portraits taken for free in her studio. If Jinny had something you needed, she would get it to you – without hesitation or expectation of anything in return. She was always happy to help.

After her divorce from David Hall in 1993, her son moved back to Corpus Christi with his dad, while Rebecca stayed in Kerrville with her to finish high school. During this time, she found herself falling deeper in love with a man who had been a photo shop customer, friend of the family and ultimately her husband for life.

Jinny married David Lee on June 12, 1995 in Ingram, Texas. The two were inseparable from that moment on. As goes their song - Keeper of the Stars- it was no accident they found each other. Someone had a hand in it, long before they ever knew. It was obvious to anyone who ever met them, that they were witnessing true love. To David, she hung the moon; and to Jinny, he hung the stars.

After closing Hill Country One Hour Photo, Jinny took on a big role with her husband’s business, Mountain Home Hunting Service. Her entrepreneurial spirit combined with her love of collecting anything and everything inspired her to open Aunt Jinny’s Antiques and Collectibles in Ingram, hence the nickname “Aunt Jinny”.

Rebecca gave Jinny her first grandchild, a girl named Macy Kate Desopo in 2003. In 2005, her grandson, Zachary Taylor Scarbrough was born. Soon after, Charles would bless his mom with two more boys, Adam and Nathan Hall. Closing the antique shop gave Jinny more time to dedicate to her grandbabies, whether traveling to Corpus Christi, Dallas or welcoming them to her home in Ingram.

In 2013, Charles married Mandi Yarbrough, giving Jinny not just a daughter-in-law, but someone who she’d consider to be her other daughter; and added a new grandchild to her family, Mandi’s daughter Amy Stewart. In 2017, Charles David Hall, III was born. There are no words to describe the love and pride Jinny had for every one of her grandchildren. Each had a special bond with their grandma and will carry those memories in their hearts forever.

When Jinny married David, her family didn’t grow by just one. Jinny proudly welcomed David’s four children, David Lee Jr, Daniel Lee, Allyson Smith, and Cheryl Lee, nine grandkids (as she’d call them) Heather Armstrong, Riann Ballenger, Daniel Lee, Jr., William Lee, Rebecca Lee, Jessie Lee, Joshua Smith, Taylor Smith and David Smith, and seven great-grandkids into her family as though they were her own.

In the last years of her life, Jinny found a new passion in women’s health. She managed the Curves gym in Kerrville and later the Place for Ladies Fitness. There she met some of her dearest friends and often spoke fondly, telling stories or making time to be there for each of “her ladies”. The Place for Ladies Fitness was more than a gym to Jinny. It was a place for her to welcome anyone who needed a friend or some company for an afternoon.

Regardless where Jinny lived or worked, one thing you could count on was that her door would always be open for you. We will miss those blue eyes, big smile, warm heart and sense of humor. But most of all we will miss our mom, grandma, friend and wife. She was one of a kind.

In lieu of flowers, due to the unexpected passing of Jinny, the family is requesting financial assistance with medical expenses and a fund has been established at Security State Bank labeled the "Jinny Lee Memorial Fund". 

Zoom log in for the service https://planview.zoom.us/j/92358950061

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