RAPID CITY | Twila Lou (Fox) Abourezk, 86, passed away Wednesday, August 21, 2013, in her home, surrounded by her family after a long battle with cancer. Twila was born March 27, 1927, in Rosebud, SD. She was the third of five children born to Thomas J. Fox & Kate E. (Scott) Fox of Mission, SD. She grew up on the family ranch north of Mission, spending her entire life in South Dakota except for two years of high school in Nebraska. She attended a one-room country school through eighth grade after which she attended Todd County High School for two years. In her junior year of high school, she entered St. Mary's Academy in O'Neill, NE, graduating in the spring of 1945. Following high school in the fall of 1945, Twila started a 12 month secretarial course at Rapid City Business College and graduated from there in 1946. She then took a position as church secretary to Reverend Walz of the First Presbyterian Church in Rapid City until her marriage. She would joke that her entire professional career lasted three months! On December 22, 1946, Twila married Thomas J. Abourezk of Wood, SD, one year after Tom returned from proudly serving in the Marines in World War II. After a honeymoon to Chicago, Illinois, they lived for 28 years in Mission, SD, where Tom ran a family general merchandise store and Twila was a homemaker. To this union four daughters were born: Bonnie Longcor, Rapid City, SD; Colleen Kary (Bill), Springfield, MO; Jill Abourezk, Rapid City, SD; and Susan Callas (Jim) Newport Beach, CA. Throughout their life together, Twila and Tom delighted in and obtained much joy from their 10 grandchildren: Lyn, Tina and Michael; Karissa and Wes; Liz (Doug Breed), Anna and Sasha; Max and Hannah. Later, Twila was able to enjoy the addition of four great-grandchildren: Lillian and McCoy Kary and Lou and Vivian Breed. For a few months in the spring of 1947, Twila was a long-term substitute teacher in the same country grade school she had once attended. Twila enjoyed being involved with and volunteering in church activities in Mission, where she and her husband were founding members of the United Methodist Church. After moving to Rapid City, she continued her church activities at the First United Methodist Church. She made many friends over the years and kept up with them through her very carefully crafted long notes, letters, and visits, always welcoming them to her home. In 1973, Tom and Twila's family business in Mission was sold. They moved to Rapid City for the rest of their lives, spending summers from 1974-1978 in Hot Springs, SD. It was here Twila resumed working outside the home in another family business, Evans Plunge, until it was sold in 1979. Fun memories were made during those years with kids, grandkids and extended family helping and working together. She was so happy to be back in the Black Hills she loved so much, sojourning on ritualistic drives at different times of the year to Sheridan Lake, the Pig-tail bridges, Deadwood, and Spearfish Canyon. Twila was known for orchestrating adventures for the grandkids and others to hear the elk "bugle" in Custer State Park, the Buffalo Round-up, Keystone, the Black Hills Playhouse, Storybook Island, and the Rapid City Parks to mention a few of her favorites. She would often say that she had been many places over the years, but none were as beautiful as the Black Hills. Twila's grandchildren remember playing spirited games of Scrabble and cards, with Twila always talking the "big talk". In these contests, she was highly competitive and did not "let" them win, dubbing herself the "dark horse" coming from behind. Occasionally, while playing the game of Scrabble and in the process of "coming from behind", she was known to "create" a word causing her fellow players much angst, laughter and verbalization, thus leading them to challenge the new word. Upon her "creation" being stricken from play and the appropriate measures being meted out to her, she would always say, "Well, you never know, it could have been a car part," bringing another round of laughter. If by chance she would win, the scorecard would be posted on the refrigerator bringing much "humiliation" to the grandchildren, leaving them wondering how that happened!? Twila was a member of Rapid City Regional Hospital Auxiliary, volunteering in the Gift Shop for almost 20 years. She also experienced great joy and pleasure from her flowers and gardening in general, once planting a lemon seed and nurturing it along until the tree bore lemons! Twila enjoyed league bowling in Mission and Rapid City competing in national tournaments for many years, just recently retiring from bowling. After moving to Rapid City, Twila and Tom enjoyed extensive travel, and she continued to travel after his death with family and friends. The proud Irish/Scottish woman that she was, she perfected Lebanese cuisine that she learned from her mother-in-law and served many wonderful Lebanese meals to her family and guests' delight. Twila was preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Tom, her parents, one brother, Mick Fox, and one sister, Dixie Allen. She is survived by her four daughters, two sons-in-law, 10 grandchildren and four great-grandchildren. Also surviving are siblings Kathryn Rose Thomas of Aiken, SC; Tommie Joe Fox, Denver, CO, and formerly of Mission, SD; and brother-in-law, former U.S. Senator James Abourezk and his wife, Sanaa, Sioux Falls, SD, and 27 nieces and nephews. Twila's life brought great joy and was an inspiration to her family and friends. Her generosity, wit and willingness to laugh will be missed by all who knew her. Visitation will be from 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. on Labor Day, Monday, Sept. 2, at Osheim & Schmidt Funeral Home in Rapid City. Funeral services will be at 11 a.m. Tuesday, Sept. 3, at First United Methodist Church in Rapid City with Pastor John Britt officiating. Interment will be at Black Hills National Cemetery near Sturgis. Memorials have been established with First United Methodist Church, the Black Hills Children's Home Society and Storybook Island.