Betty Mason Gray

Betty was born in Talara, Peru to John Whitney Mason and Estella Sue (Hayden) Mason. Betty spent her early years there due to her father’s work but called Texas home. Betty graduated from RL Paschal high school in Fort Worth, TX in 1966 and attended classes at Texas Tech until she left college to start a family. She and then-husband Robert Gray eventually put down roots in the Alief area to raise their children.

Betty is survived by: daughter Sheryl, son-in-law Robert and granddaughter Caroline of Greenville, SC; son Bradley and daughter-in-law Sherry of Tomball, TX; brother David Mason of Reklaw, TX, sister Anne Rippy of Asheville, NC and sister Susan Ball of Houston; and seven nieces and nephews. She is preceded in death by her parents and two nephews.

Though Betty worked in accounting her whole life — first with several companies in the oil industry, and later managing the family trust — her main focus was her family. Sheryl says her mom taught her to be honest, hard-working, always pay her bills, and the importance of a good credit score!

Betty always put others’ needs, especially family, before her own. She left her job at CECO in the late 90s to care for her mother full-time until her death.

She lived close to her son and daughter-in-law, Brad and Sherry, spending much time with them, their friends (her bonus children) and her beloved grand-pets Schnitzel, Sam, Jasper, Shelby and Biggles.

Betty shared her love of sewing with her granddaughter, even inspiring young Caroline to take sewing classes. Betty enjoyed traveling to South Carolina to watch her granddaughter dance, most recently as the Snow Queen in her company’s Nutcracker tea.

A Celebration of Life for Betty Gray will be held Sat., March 30 at the home of Brad Gray.

In lieu of flowers, donations may be made in memory of Betty to: American Heart Association or the Jabboury Foundation for Cancer Research.