Cleta Raye Graham

Raye Estes Graham born on

October 1, 1926, in Talpa,

Texas, to John Roy Estes and

Nancy Verluna Estes. Cleta

graduated from Talpa High

School in 1943. She played

basketball, volleyball and tennis

in school. She worked as

a bookkeeper in San Angelo,

Texas, until she turned 17

when she moved to La Porte,

Texas, to live with her Aunt

and Uncle. At 18 Cleta went

to work for Shell Chemical

Refinery in Deer Park, Texas.

Truly a trailblazer – a woman

working in a man’s world.

During her 37 years working

at Shell, Cleta met Herschel

Graham, whom she married

on May 1, 1954, and they

remained married for 52

years. They both took early

retirement from Shell in 1978

and traveled extensively via

trains, planes, automobiles,

and cruises for many years.

Their favorite place to visit

was Alaska. She also volunteered

at Southmore Hospital

for 13 years. Cleta was an avid

reader of all kinds of books

and loved all sporting events

and could always discuss current

issues because she read

the Houston Chronicle daily

from cover to cover. Cleta did

not like chocolate but loved to

eat snack sized Pay Days. She

loved Country and Classical

music and loved to dance. She

has been a member of South

Main Baptist church since

1956. She was a resident of

Colonial Oaks in Pasadena,

Texas, since 2010. Cleta was

fiercely independent and went

93 strong until she passed

on April 2, 2020. Cleta is

preceded in death by her

husband, Herschel Graham,

brother, Coy Estes, and two

sisters, Chloe Edgar, and Lora

Carrol Hatfield. Cleta had

several terms of endearment

such as Pat, Keke, Aunt Pat,

and Granny. Cleta is survived

by nieces and nephews, her

favorite son-in-law, and

stepdaughter’s family, which

consists of three grandchildren

and four great grandchildren.

Her family will keep

her memory in their hearts

and will forever miss her.