Funerals services for Tara Trow Casper, 60, of Trinity, Texas will be held at the Waller-Thornton Funeral Home Chapel in Trinity on Saturday, May 25. Visitation begins at 1 p.m. with a service to follow at 2 p.m.

Tara was born Dec. 21, 1958 at Randolph Air Force Base in San Antonio, the second child of Col. Robert E. Trow, USAF, and Doris Myrick Trow. She died Friday, May 17, 2019 of natural causes at her home in Trinity.

Tara's family had long ties to the Trinity/Walker counties area, going back at least five generations on her father's side. As a child, Tara lived with her family in San Antonio, Lubbock, Salina, Kans., Detroit and Washington, D.C., where her father was assigned to the State Department. Tara moved to Trinity at the age of 16 when her father retired from active duty. She attended high school in the Maryland suburbs of Washington, D.C. and in Trinity, Texas, before earning her General Educational Certificate in 1978. She attended Sam Houston State University, studying history.

Tara married Stephen Casper of Groveton in May 1976 and had two children, Tarisa Ann in May 1977 and Stephen Daniel in May 1985. Tara was employed by the U.S. Postal Service before transitioning into the health care field, where she served as a certified nursing assistant. She devoted her care to nursing home patients with Alzheimer's disease in a career marked by compassion for the sick and elderly. Tara, who was physically petite, left her role as a CNA due to an injury sustained during patient care. She lived in Trinity County for more than 40 years.

Tara was highly intelligent and intellectually curious. She was a lifelong learner and an avid reader of fiction and non-fiction, mostly history and political science. She was a gifted and expressive writer and possessed a near photographic memory. She was known by family and friends for her dry wit and quirky sense of humor. Tara encouraged her children's creativity, curiosity and intellectual independence. She had a soft heart and loved animals. Since childhood, her pets were her close companions. Tara also had a strong faith in God and recently expressed her hope that the world would come together with love and compassion for all peoples.

In the weeks before her death, Tara told family members that her greatest joy in life had been her two amazing children, and she was comforted by the thought that they had married wonderful people and were actively pursuing their dreams. She was also delighted to have had a granddaughter, London, now 18 months old.

Tara was preceded in death by her father, Bob, and her mother, Doris. She is survived by her daughter Tarisa Casper Tibbit, son-in-law Paul Tibbit and granddaughter, London, of Richardson; her son Stephen Casper and daughter-in-law Samantha Beck Casper of Huntsville; sister Lisa Trow of Austin; sister Mary Anne Trow Bell and brother-in-law Bob Bell of Cedar Park; niece Katie Trow Samuels and nephew-in-law Brendan Samuels of Huntsville; nephew and niece Aiden and Zoe Bell of Cedar Park; numerous aunts, uncles and cousins; and dear friends in the Trinity community.

In lieu of flowers, the family asks those wishing to express their sympathy to consider donating to the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the Blanche K. Werner Public Library in Trinity.

Following May 25 services in Trinity, Tara's ashes will be interred in Richardson. Condolences for the family can be left at www.wallerthorntonfh.com.