Jo Therese Phalen

Jo Therese was born in Beaumont February 12, 1927 to T.A. and Lena (Fertitta) Brocato. Jo Therese grew up in Beaumont as part of a large Italian extended family and graduated valedictorian from St. Anthony High School. She started college in San Antonio at Our Lady of the Lake College, continuing at Lamar College in Beaumont before completing her B.S. degree at Southwest Louisiana Institute (now ULL) in Lafayette, Louisiana. She returned home to teach homemaking (aka domestic science) in the public schools. She met her future husband, Thomas Phalen, on a blind date when he escorted her to the Valentine’s Day dance. They married on June 14, 1952 and lived in Beaumont where their first two children, Tom and Margaret, were born. In 1966, the family moved to the Houston area, settling in Hedwig Village where their youngest child, Patricia, was born.

The family joined St. Cecilia parish. Jo Therese was a parishioner from 1966 until her passing - 58 years of the parish’s 68 year history. The Sisters of the Incarnate Word and Blessed Sacrament (C.V.I.) at St. Cecilia School asked Jo Therese to set up the first Learning Center in 1971. She created remedial reading programs, an innovation in Catholic schools at the time. She later duplicated the Learning Center at St. Francis de Sales School. She then returned to St. Cecilia School as the librarian, the position from which she retired in her 60s. Jo Therese was a member of the Catholic Daughters of America, St. Cecilia Women’s Club, Family Guild and was a longtime volunteer at the St. Theresa Little Flower thrift shop. She frequently attended daily Mass, weekly Bible study and PrimeTimers lunches and bus trips. In her later years, she preferred the Saturday Vigil Mass so that she could enjoy coffee and reading the newspaper on Sunday mornings.

Jo Therese loved to travel taking many family vacations, cruises and trips abroad. Whenever she could, she loved to go to the family beach house on Crystal Beach any time of year. She loved to entertain guests and was a very good at it. An excellent cook, her homemade pasta sauce, grillades and grits and traditional fig cookies are fondly remembered as family favorites. In addition to being a wife and family matriarch, she was a steadfast friend. For her nieces and nephews, Aunt Jo could be counted on for her wise and frank counsel and will be dearly missed.

Jo Therese is preceded in death by her husband of 55 years, Thomas Phalen, parents T.A. and Lena (Fertitta) Brocato, sisters Mary Claire “Bick” (Luke) Petkovsek and Concetta “Connie” (Patrick) McGettigan, brother Anthony “Bubby" (Myrna) Brocato, sisters-in-law Lucy Phalen and Eileen (Louis) McBride, brother-in-law Jim (Lois) Phalen, nephews Norbert Phalen, Brian McBride and niece Meghan Patrizi.

Jo Therese is survived by her brother-in-law Bill Phalen, son Thomas (Sue) Phalen, Jr., daughters Margaret Pruett and Patricia (Patrick) Pringle; grandchildren Daniel (Kim) Phalen, Jennifer (Evan) Hitch, Lauren (Cyrus) Manekshaw, Anne (Rob Appel) Phalen and Stephen Pruett; 11 great-grandchildren and dozens of nieces and nephews.

The family would like to thank the staff at The Plaza at the Buckingham Assisted Living and Skilled Nursing for the excellent care and attention that they gave Jo Therese in her final years.

If desired, memorial donations in Jo Therese’s memory may be directed to C.R.O.S.S. Academies (fka Inner City Catholic Schools) at https://www.choosecatholicschools.org/se

A visitation for Jo Therese was held from 5:00 p.m. until 7:00 p.m., Wednesday, November 6, 2024 at Waltrip Funeral Directors, 1415 Campbell Road in Houston, where a Vigil service began at 6:00 p.m. The Funeral Mass was celebrated at 10:30 a.m., Thursday, November 7, 2024 at St. Cecilia Catholic Church, 11720 Joan of Arc Drive in Houston. Following a reception at church, the Rite of Committal was held at 3:00 p.m. in Memorial Oaks Cemetery, 13001 Katy Freeway, also in Houston.