Pauline Thrushman Brooks Ray peacefully passed from this world, after a lengthy illness, on January 21, 2020. Ms. Ray was born in Redford Township, MI on January 24, 1937. She married John D. Brooks (a special life long friend) and had 3 children. Karen Brooks-Hodges (Quinton), John D. Brooks (Don) and Lisa Brooks Gerdes.
In 1983, Ms. Ray moved to Victoria, TX and opened a resale shop called Grandmother’s House which she ran until 1987. She married Dr. Jerry Lloyd Ray in 1988. Following his death in 1990, she became very involved with neglected and abused children particularly drug dependent babies. She was a foster parent to over 70 children over the next 12 years. During this time, she added 2 daughters to the family, Pamela Ray and Felecia Ray.
At the age many people are retiring, Ms. Ray became a senior care giver until she retired at the age 81. She was gifted and passionate for those under her care.
Ms. Ray was preceeded in death her husband, Dr. Jerry Lloyd Ray, her parents, Arthur Thrushman and Flossie McElreath, brothers, Earl James Thrushman and Arthur C. Frost; sisters, Ruby Edwards & Carollyn Sawallish. She is survived by son, John Donald Brooks (Don) and daughters, Karen Brooks-Hodges (Quinton), Lisa Brooks Gerdes, Pamela Ray, Felecia Ray and 25 grandchildren (great & great greats) who each held a special place in her heart; brother, Richard Frost and sisters, Florence Mudri and Linda Osan.
A memorial service for Pauline Thrushman Brooks Ray will be held at 2:00 pm on Sunday, February 9, 2020 at Rosewood Funeral Chapel, 3304 Mockingbird Lane, Victoria, TX. Additional information can be found on Rosewood’s Funeral Chapel’s webpage, www.rosewoodfuneralchapel.com. In lieu of flowers, donations can be made to Golden Crescent CASA at http://goldencrescentcasa.org whose volunteers are advocates for neglected and abused children.
