Obituary: Lurae ‘Looie’ Biffar

Lurae “Looie” Biffar, who served Texas Baptists and Woman’s Missionary Union of Texas more than a half-century as a graphic designer, died March 21 in Chico. She was 79. She was born June 30, 1945, to Clyde and Elva Attaway Biffar and grew up in Big Spring. She earned her degree in graphic design from the University of North Texas in 1967. She served four and a half decades as a graphic designer in the public relations and communications office at the Baptist General Convention of Texas. After retiring from the BGCT, she served in a similar role with WMU of Texas. When she began work with Texas Baptists, she used a drawing board, rapidograph pen, utility knife and T-square. By the time she retired, she was proficient in multiple types of graphic-design computer hardware and software. She served with six BGCT executive directors—T.A. Patterson, James Landes, Bill Pinson, Charles Wade, Randel Everett and David Hardage—and worked at three Baptist Building locations. For more than three decades, she coordinated and supervised the set-up of the exhibit hall at Texas Baptists’ annual meeting. Along the way, she received numerous graphic design awards from the Baptist Public Relations Association/Baptist Communicators Association. She was preceded in death by her brother Glenn Biffar and her sister Elaine Shuffler. She is survived by her nephew Aaron Biffar; her niece Andrea Jones and husband J.D.; niece-in-law Laurie Watkins; sister-in-law Patti Biffar; and great-nieces and great-nephews who thought of her as a grandmother. The family will receive guests from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. March 25 at Hawkins Funeral Home in Bridgeport. Her memorial service will be at 1 p.m. March 26 at Hawkins Funeral Home in Bridgeport, with burial at Chico Cemetery.