Patsy Stafford

PATSY JUNE GENTRY STAFFORD

January 8, 1940 – January 8, 2020

Patsy June Gentry Stafford was born in Ellis County near Ennis, Texas, at Sand Lake to Ernest Leamon and Mary Alice Tallant Gentry.  She was educated in Ennis public schools.  She and her family were members at Tabernacle Baptist Church in Ennis where she was baptized.

She is survived by her husband, Ray Stafford; daughters Teresa Carpenter (Don) and Joy Lee Gray (Keith); son, Ray Stafford, Jr. (Christine); sister, Sandra Gentry Moss; inlaws: Mary Helen Gentry, Maude Alice Gentry, Wilma Stafford, and W. W. “Sonny” Stafford.  Her grandchildren include:   Will Carpenter (Cassie), Crystal Wise (Jay), Jarad Thomas (Brandie), Julie McCaslin (Mike), Jessica Watson (Robert), Homer Sendejas (Pam), Amanda Sendejas, Bianca Carrington (Austin), Olivia Trammell (Jace), Liliana Stafford, Rachel Stafford, and Katelynn Stafford.  She has several great grandchildren and one great great grandchild.  She has so many nieces and nephews.   She has bonus grandchildren:  Keith Burns (Megan), Matt and Lee Ann Fewell.

Patsy is predeceased by her parents, brothers: Albert, Charles, Ernest “Sonny”, Jr. Prentice “Jinker”, and David; sisters: Frances Fisher, Billie Holland, Joy Barker, Ruby Alsup, Ruth Benefield, Juanita “Nita” Good, and Mary Ellen Gentry.  She also predeceased by her son in-law, Jeff Thomas.

Patsy came from a very large nuclear family.  They were cotton farmers.  They were a big, ole cotton-picking family.  She shared many memories of her years at Sand Lake.  In a family that large, she grew to be quite strong – in work ethic, passion, and temperament.

She moved to Fort Worth, met and married Ray Stafford.  They lived in Fort Worth in the Riverside area for a few years before moving to Kennedale.  Patsy worked for Evans Press, Perkco Printing, and Shannon’s/Reliable Insurance.  At Evans and Perkco, she regularly employed many of her nieces and nephews during the summers.  She was a member of First Baptist Church of Kennedale and the Moose Lodge in Arlington.

Patsy loved many things in life:  family, work, gin rummy/spades/canasta, bingo, slot machines, cigarettes, music, and Pepsi.  She was very stubborn, she had strong opinions, and she loved to laugh.

Pallbearers will be her grandsons:  Will Carpenter, Jay Wise, Jarad Thomas, Keith Burns, Mike McCaslin, Robert Watson, Homer Sendejas, and Jace Trammell.  Clayton Thomas, Austin Carrington, and John Todd will be honorary pallbearers.