Essie Gayle Richey

Essie Gayle Richey, 95, passed away Tuesday, December 30, 2008, in Lakeway, Texas. Born January 23, 1913, in Guy's Store, Leon County, Texas, to Francis Alexander Gayle and Essie Leathers Gayle, she lived most of her early years in Edna, Texas, moving to Houston in 1924 when she was in the fifth grade. She graduated from Sam Houston High School in 1930 and attended Texas A and I (Texas A and M, Kingsville). In 1939 she married Warren Norris Richey, with whom she remained happily united 66 years until his death in 2005. Essie was a homemaker in the fullest and best sense of the word, raising four children, contributing countless hours to community, church, and school activities, and, above all, providing a warm and loving presence in the lives of her family and all who knew her. She was especially active in the United Methodist Church, participating in Woman's Society of Christian Service and volunteering in the church library. She was a beloved and dedicated member of the Houston Emmaus Community. Essie never met a stranger. She was blessed with a dynamic personality and made friends wherever she went. She and Warren traveled for pleasure all over the world, and, as part of Warren's work as a consulting engineer, they lived abroad for short stints in Hawaii and London and in Buenos Aires, Argentina for two years. Essie and Warren acted as dinner hosts for international visitors to Houston as part of the Institute for International Education, and Essie kept in touch with many of her international friends. Both sides of her family were early settlers in Texas, and Essie shared many a tale of Texas history and her experiences growing up in Houston. In fact, several years ago she appeared in the KUHT television series "Houston, I Remember When". She lived life to the fullest, salsa dancing with one of her granddaughters to celebrate New Year's just a few years ago. Always optimistic and enthusiastic, she touched many lives. She will be dearly missed. Essie is survived by her two sons, Frank Richey and his wife Karen of Lake Jackson, Texas; John Richey and his wife Betty of Houston; her two daughters, Jean Richey Zidd and her husband Peter of Roseburg, Oregon; and Beverly Richey Gould and her husband Virgil of Lakeway, Texas; and nine grandchildren and nine great-grandchildren. The family would like to give special thanks to the caregivers and staff at Vista Oaks Assisted Living of Lakeway, Hill Country Care Providers, Misty Meyer of Austin Odyssey Hospice, and Carla of the Summit at Lakeway. A celebration of Essie's life will be Saturday, January 24, at 11:00 a.m. in the chapel of St. Luke's United Methodist Church, in Houston. In lieu of flowers, the family requests memorial contributions to Wedgwood Academy (Library Fund), 3721 Wedgworth Rd. South, Ft. Worth, Tx 76133, Lake Travis Community Library Building Fund, 2300 Lohman's Spur, Suite 100, Austin, TX 78734, an Emmaus Scholarship Fund, or to the charity of your choice.