Delmarie Gilbreath

Delmarie Luella Howell Gilbreath passed away in Houston on Thursday, January 8, 2026, at the age of 94. She was born on June 5, 1931, in Tahlequah, Oklahoma to Raymond Lee and Bonnie Lee Watson Howell.

She and her family lived in that area of Oklahoma before she left home with her brother and sister-in-law to attend Oklahoma State University. She graduated from Northeastern State University with a degree in Music.

She began playing piano at an early age and progressed with teachers in her community and then learned to play organ so the organist at the church could move. When she enrolled at Oklahoma State University she worked as a student in the Engineering department. She met her future husband, Ray Gilbreath, also known as Corky, the first time she attended church and the rest was history.

After Corky graduated and went to Korea with the Army Delmarie and their baby, Susan, stayed with her parents who taught school. Delmarie graduated from Northeastern Oklahoma University the same semester her mother graduated with her teaching degree.

On his return from the service Corky completed a master’s degree at OSU and they began moving for his work as an engineer for various oil companies. They lived in the Dallas area, San Antonio, El Dorado, Arkansas, and finally moved to Houston. They also had a son, Scott, and another daughter, Sandy.

Delmarie always played organ and piano for the church they attended wherever they lived, which included many weddings, receptions and funerals. She was a gifted performer and had the ability to play by ear as well as transpose the key of a piece of music by ear. She continued to take lessons herself after moving to Houston. She also taught piano to many students over the years and learned to use FaceTime with her students during COVID at the age of 89. She taught her final lesson last year to a student who had continued to take his lessons by phone. She accompanied church choirs, the Gospel Singers, a duo of women, the Skylarks, who performed all over Houston, and she accompanied the Singing Belles group until 2024. She was a member of the American Guild of Organists, PEO and Treble Clef. Descriptions of her playing included, “a marvelous musician,” “what a talent”, “she brought a calm effort to our playing”, and “she had a strong connection to the keyboard.” While she was modest she also had a precious sense of humor which sparkled through when we least expected it.

In addition to music, she enjoyed travelling, visiting many states, countries and five continents. She and Ray planned family vacations every year including California, Florida, Washington, DC, Mexico, water skiing with friends, and visits to family in Oklahoma several times each year. She also accompanied him on some of his business trips including Russia in the seventies.

Although Ray died much too young in 1980, she continued to travel with family, church groups and friends going on cruises and travel to Europe and Asia several times. Her final international trip at age 80 was to visit her grandson Cary in Australia.

She is survived by two daughters, Susan Spring (Lloyd) and Sandy Eggert (Bill), grandchildren Spencer Gilbreath (Amanda), Cary Cooper (Katy), Alissa Dodd (Justin), Amber Havard (Mitchell), and Karly Carter (Irvin), and great-grandchildren Madison, Lauren, Jayden, Jaxson, Maci, Jason, Julie, Hetty, Edie, Carson, Makayla, Kaci and many nephews and nieces. She also leaves a wide group of piano students and friends from church and music activities.

She is preceded in death by her husband, Ulmer Ray (Corky) Gilbreath and son, Scott Ray Gilbreath, siblings Bernell Howell, Bobby Howell, Jack Howell and Mary Jane Howell Harris.

The funeral will be held on Sunday, January 18, 2026, at 10:00 am at Memorial Oaks Funeral Home in Houston, Texas.

Pastor John Bender, Chaplain, Parkway Place, will officiate the service. The pallbearers are Spencer Gilbreath, Cary Cooper, Justin Dodd and Mitchell Havard

Reception to follow the service at the same location, and internment will be in the Memorial Oaks cemetery.