Joan Dockrey Barrett-Smith

Thelma Jo “Joan” Dockrey was born September 17, 1926 in Colorado City, Texas to John Arthur and Esse Mae Reeves Dockrey. She passed away peacefully surrounded by her loving family, Friday, October 12, 2018 after falling and breaking her ankle on the way to a football game to see one of her great grandchildren. Joan loved family and family life and was a wonderful daughter, wife, mother, grandmother, and great grandmother. She spent her childhood in Colorado City and her family moved to Odessa in 1943 so her parents could participate in the war effort at Midland Airforce Base. It was there that she met the love of her life, Howard. Following Howard’s discharge, they settled in Odessa and lived there for 30 years. While Howard pursued a career as an entrepreneur, Joan was busy as a bank officer at Home Savings Association. When she retired to become the better half of A to Z Rental Center, she was leaving the position of vice president at Home Savings. In 1973, after selling A to Z and the land it was situated on, they moved to Pauma Valley, California to begin a new career, that of orange grove owners. When the time to build a new house in the grove arrived, they decided to sell and move back to west Texas, where they became involved once again in agriculture, establishing a commercial pecan orchard. Never one to be idle, during that time, Joan worked as a very specially requested temp for Exxon in Midland. She chose to be a temp so she could be off when “Howie” was off during the summers. In 1993 in their late sixties, they decided to move closer to their daughter and family. They moved to Katy and have been residents since then, first in their own home and after Howard died, as a member of Pam and Larry’s home. Joan spent her entire life encouraging people in whatever they pursued. Until the day she died she always found something positive in every person she met. Joan was a devout convert to Catholicism. She was preceded in death by her parents, Arthur and Esse Dockrey, brothers Roy and Bob and sister Frances Jeane, and her beloved, Howard. She is survived by her adoring daughter Pamela Barrett-Smith Gray and husband Larry of Katy, granddaughter Laurie Gray Boudreaux and husband Brett of Simonton, grandson Michael Howard Gray and wife Sabine of Cypress, granddaughter Melissa Gray Colihan and husband Chris of Katy, and granddaughter Amelia Gray Culwell and husband Brian of Tomball, granddaughter Colette Walsh and husband Scott of Mission, Texas, great grandchildren Cole and wife Katie and Gage Boudreaux, Carter, Brenna and Tommy Colihan, Sarah Korus and husband Steffen, Grayson, Madison, Lauren and Aiken Culwell, Sarah Mae and Elijah Walsh and great great granddaughter, Sophie Korus, and numerous nieces and nephews. Joan’s first question to anyone “have you eaten?’ In that spirit, the family request in lieu of flowers, donations be made in her name to: Feed the Children, P.O. Box 36, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma 73101. Visitation will be held from 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m., Wednesday, October 17, 2018 in the Chapel of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home in Rosenberg. The funeral mass will be celebrated at 1:00 p.m., Thursday, October 18, 2018 at St. Faustina Catholic Church in Fulshear, Texas. Burial to follow at Greenlawn Memorial Park in Rosenberg. Personal condolences may be left at www.davisgreenlawnfh.com. Funeral arrangements are under the direction of Davis-Greenlawn Funeral Home, 3900 B.F. Terry Blvd., Rosenberg, Texas 77471, Phone: 281-341-8800.

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Joan Dockrey Barrett-Smith

September 17, 1926 - October 12, 2018