By Amy White
The Texas Catholic
When Georgia and Marc Lyons learned they would receive this year’s Catholic Foundation Award, they were amazed.
“There aren’t many times that we are speechless, but this was one of them,” Georgia said. “Never in our wildest dreams were we expecting to be asked to accept this honor.”
The Catholic Foundation Award, which is the highest honor the foundation offers, was presented to the couple on Feb. 10 at the Hilton Anatole in Dallas during the 41st Annual Catholic Foundation Award Dinner. Both the dinner and the award stood as celebrations of local Catholic philanthropy and service, and more than a thousand attendees gathered for the occasion.
“Every year, The Catholic Foundation Award recognizes an individual, couple, or family for their distinguished service and support to further the religious, charitable, and educational needs throughout our local Catholic community,” said Dan Odom, the board chair of The Catholic Foundation. He added that award recipients through the years have made “a deep and meaningful impact” on the local community.
“We’re honoring people that have made a difference, that realize gifts are from God, and they’re giving back those gifts to make a better kingdom here on Earth,” said Matt Kramer, president and CEO of The Catholic Foundation.
The Honorees
Georgia and Marc, this year’s recipients, have been married for 51 years. Each had an upbringing steeped in family and Christian education, which they said deeply informed their later philanthropic efforts.
Marc and Georgia both attended Christian schools as children in Louisiana. Marc attended Cathedral School in Lafayette through sixth grade, before moving to Midland, Texas, and Georgia attended St. John the Evangelist Catholic School in Plaquemine, La.
“We still have a special place in our hearts for Catholic schools,” Georgia said.
After high school, Georgia and Marc went to Nicholls State University in Thibodaux, La., where they met for the first time on a blind date during their freshman year.
“My roommate in college had a mad crush on [Georgia’s] sister in the sorority,” Marc recalled. Georgia’s sorority sister and Marc’s roommate brought Georgia and Marc on a double date—which the couple lightheartedly noted took place on Friday the 13th—and the couple began dating. Georgia and Marc continued dating throughout college and married in 1972.
The two lived in New Orleans for 10 years, during which time they had their children, Kristen and Greg. Kristen, the older sibling, was born with Down syndrome; with the support of her parents, she would go on to be a fierce competitor in the Special Olympics, winning silver in both ice skating and basketball.
After living in New Orleans, the family stayed in Houston for two years before moving to Dallas in 1985, where Marc and Georgia have remained since.
“How quickly the past four decades have gone by,” Georgia said, “filled with caring for our family, building careers, volunteering in church, school, and community, welcoming our beautiful daughter-in-law Jaime to our family, becoming grandparents to our precious grandchildren Grace and Noah, and, of course, finding time for Marc to squeeze in a little golf!”
Partnership of philanthropy
Georgia and Marc were chosen by the foundation board of trustees as this year’s award recipients based on the charitable giving of their time, talent, and treasure to their parish and the Diocese of Dallas at large. They received the award together, as a couple.
“It’s really nice to ride on Georgia’s coattails,” Marc joked.
“You stole my line!” Georgia replied.
Both Georgia and Marc have been involved in the Bishop’s Invitational Golf Tournament, Holy Trinity Seminary, and KidLinks, a group that raises money to provide music therapy to underprivileged kids, as well as other charitable efforts.
Both also pursue volunteer work individually.
“I’m more involved in the local parish life, and Marc is involved more in the big diocesan picture,” Georgia said, “but it complements each other.”
Georgia’s volunteer efforts at All Saints Catholic Church, where the two have been parishioners since they moved to Dallas in 1985, include her involvement in eucharistic ministry, funeral reception ministry, and disabilities ministry. She also co-chaired both the diocesan “Our Faith, Our Future” campaign for the parish and the 2023 All Saints Catholic Community Soiree fundraiser.
“I’m a former teacher,” she explained. “So, I started teaching CCD religious education, and I’ve been involved ever since.”
Marc’s service to the diocese includes his time as a trustee of The Catholic Foundation from 2013 to 2020 and as board chair from 2018 to 2020. He currently serves on the advisory council of the foundation.
As a member of the foundation board, Marc learned about the impressive needs of the local Catholic community—and about the foundation’s efforts to help meet those needs. Last year alone, The Catholic Foundation distributed $20.9 million dollars through more than 2,700 grants, impacting more than 880 organizations.
“When I got involved on the foundation board, it gave us a much broader view of what’s going on,” Marc said.
Marc has also served as coach of Kristen’s Special Olympics golf team.
“We do a little bit here and a little bit there, and it’s what we can do,” Marc said. “We’d like to do more.”
On Feb. 10, at The Catholic Foundation Award Dinner, many of those impacted by the generosity and friendship of the Lyonses gathered together to celebrate the couple and to celebrate Catholic philanthropy.
This year, as in past years, the foundation allowed the recipients of its Catholic Foundation Award to recommend a $10,000 grant to be sent by the foundation to a charitable organization of the award recipients’ choice. The Lyonses chose Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic School in Dallas as the recipient of the grant. Representatives of the school were present at the dinner to accept the grant.
“When you look at Marc and Georgia, they have done so many things in our community,” Kramer said. “They are the most humble people… They do things for the right reasons, not to be recognized.”
