All Tributes

Allison Gross Wallace ascended to Heaven into the arms of her gracious and loving Lord on March 24, 2020, after a brief and courageous battle with cancer. Allison was born on September 28, 1964, in Houston, TX to Susan and Richard (Potsy) Gross. She attended River Oaks Elementary and St. John’s School in Houston, then attended college at Vanderbilt University. In 1985, she met the love of her life, John Eldon Wallace, and they married in 1987 at a beautiful farm wedding in Chappell...

David K. Chen passed away on March 20, 2020 in the presence of his wife Grace and sister Elaine at home in Houston after battling his recurring brain tumor since October of 2019. David had been a loving, devoting husband, father, and brother to his family who are deeply saddened by his passing away. However, his condition never once took his courage, kindness, and stoic manner away from him. As he once said, “I will work until the last day I die,” Dave had lived a...

Carolyn Josephine Botkin Mattax (1925-2020), an accomplished pianist, organist, and violinist, passed away peacefully in her sleep on March 18, 2020 at Belmont Village in Houston. She was 94. Born the third of four children on November 25, 1925 in Tulsa, Oklahoma to William and Carol Botkin, Carolyn began her career as a professional musician at the age of 15. She earned her bachelor's and master's degrees in Music and English from the University of Tulsa and Louisiana State...

Henry Wray Eversole, Jr., 76, peacefully passed away just after midnight on Sunday, March 15th at the home he had shared with his former wife, Lona, in Houston, Texas.  His family had surrounded him and kept a vigil by his bed. His death was due to complications of heart disease and a diagnosis of B Cell Lymphoma. With his great personality and kindness, Henry never met a stranger.  He was a people person and people loved being with him....

  Betty Jane Blanton Moore passed away in Houston, TX on March 14, 2020, her 84th birthday. She was born March 14, 1936 in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma. Betty graduated as the valedictorian of Pauls Valley High School in 1954.  In 1958 she graduated at the top of her class from the University of Oklahoma in Norman. At the time, she was one of the few women to major in geology. She was a member of Pi Beta Phi sorority, Pi Beta Kappa honor society, Mortar Board Honor Society and...

Richard O. Patterson, beloved father, husband, and uncle, died peacefully on March 12, 2020 from acute respiratory failure. He will be remembered for his humor, his extensive knowledge on a wide range of topics (as one friend stated, “before Google there was Richard!”), his love of family, and his generosity. Richard was born in Tulsa, Oklahoma on March 12, 1949 to Cora Francis Albert Patterson and Ernest Odell Patterson, Jr. He grew up in Houston graduating from Memorial High...

Uma P. Kakkad, 72, of Sugarland, Texas, passed away peacefully on March 6, 2020. Uma was Born November 1, 1947 in Mumbai, India and immigrated to the United States in 1967. She first moved to Virginia, then to Maryland, before moving to Houston, Texas and finally to Sugarland, Texas. Uma and her husband, Prafull B Kakkad, had a beautiful Daughter Tamanna P. Kakkad, that took wonderful care of her for the past several years. Uma is preceded in death by her husband, Prafull, her elder...

Rita Renee LaRue of Houston, Texas, born on February 22, 1957, to parents JoAnne Moore LaRue and James Morris LaRue. She was called home to be with the Lord on February 26, 2020.  Ritas is survived by her brother James A. LaRue and his wife Karen, niece Jennifer LaRue, nephews Jake LaRue & James Christopher LaRue, aunts, many cousins, her church & music families as well as numerous friends. She was preceded in death by her parents, grandparents Ruby Viola LaRue & James...

Laurie Lee Ellison died peacefully on March 4, 2020, at the age of 94. She is preceded in death by her husband Evard and her three brothers and three sisters. Laurie went by many names: Laurie Lee to her siblings, Sandy to her husband, and Honey to her grandchildren. But whatever name you gave her, you experienced the same warmth and empathy she shared with everyone she met. Sandy cared and it showed. She was interested in everything about you: how you were doing, how your career was...

Irene (Rena) Karalis, 89 of Houston, Texas, passed away February 25, 2020. She was born in Alexandroupolis Greece to parents George and Fani Stylianidou. Irene was a recording artist in Athens, Greece (professional name Rena Styl) and immigrated to Houston in 1967 with an exclusive contract to sing in a local Greek club. She delighted audiences throughout Greece and Houston until the latter part of the '70s.  Irene was a loving wife, mother, grandmother and great grandmother....