Selena Jo "Jody" Van Dyke Staggs

Jody was born June 18, 1939, to Harry James and Nettie Cannon Van Dyke and heard the Master's call on Saturday, June 18, 2026.

She was preceded in death by her parents and a sister, Patricia Van Dyke Frey. She is survived by her loving and devoted husband of 56 years, Thomas “Tom” Staggs; nephews and nieces, James Frey (Rachael), James Barnett (Amy), and Becky Henderson; her heart sister, of 50-plus years, Marilyn Abbott; loyal, faithful and loving friends, Debbie Rudolph, Holi Teague, and Wanda Fields; daughter, Karen Foster (Garth); five grandchildren, and several great-grandchildren.

Jody was a devout Christian and strived to obey the commands of the Lord Jesus and was always active in the church where she and Tom resided. One of the great joys in her life was her privilege to serve as a “Pink Lady” with the Schumpert Hospital Guild in Shreveport.

Jody grew up in Shreveport, and since her father was denied the companionship of sons, he raised his daughters as if they were. She was an accomplished horsewoman, could willow a duck blind, lay a spinner bait at the foot of a cypress tree 30’ away, and much to the chagrin of her husband, could back a boat trailer better than he. When they married, Tom brought her to Houston, where he had a bachelor apartment in the bohemian section of the Westheimer/Montrose neighborhood. The next morning when he left for work, she went for a walk in the district and little did he know, when he returned home, they would be relocating. He just thought it was a great place to live.

Jody and Tom kept horses during the time they lived in The Woodlands, Texas, and spent many happy hours trail riding, grilling, and fishing at the horse pasture. They loved traveling in the Texas Hill Country, and they covered thousands of miles on rural ranch roads of the hills and the land of clear living waters.

While living in The Woodlands, Jody was exposed to a situation where children were traumatized as a result of a motor vehicle accident. She envisioned a program that would bring comfort to children experiencing distress, and so the “Hug-A-Bears” initiative was born. She created a pattern of a child's stuffed bear, hounded stores for cloth and stuffing donations, and recruited women’s civic clubs and organizations in South Montgomery County to sew. These Hug-A-Bears were supplied to ER rooms, firefighters, police, and other first responders to give to children in trauma situations. For her efforts, she was selected as the Montgomery County “Woman of the Year” in 1990.

The family would like to thank Tommie Ann Cassidy, FNP-C, and her staff for their loving and compassionate care through the years. We also would like to recognize Bristol Hospice staff, Selina Harper, Tamya Sims, Sonya Walton, and Tonia Hogan for their tender and devoted care of Jody.

The family suggests memorials may be made to the Springhill Methodist Church Choir, 104 4th Street NW, Springhill, LA 71075.