Gloria Louise Bartell Gray

Funeral services will be held at 11 a.m. Monday, Aug. 6, at the First Presbyterian Church of Crowley for Gloria Louise Bartell Gray, 88, who passed away peacefully in the early morning hours of Friday, Aug. 3, 2018, in Crowley.
Rev. Jimmy Broussard will officiate for the services.
The family is requesting visitation be held at the First Presbyterian Church Monday from 9 a.m. until the time of service.
Interment will be in Woodlawn Mausoleum.
Mrs. Gloria most recently celebrated her 88th birthday with a small gathering of friends and family members. She was born on July 23, 1930, in Crowley, to Limey J. Bartell and Beatrice Hockaday Bartell and was the youngest of their three daughters.
As a young girl Mrs. Gloria enjoyed horseback riding, especially on her beloved pony, Bob. She graduated from Crowley High School and then entered the University of Southwestern Louisiana where she obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Education. She taught third grade for many years before transitioning into a Title One program position, which afforded her the opportunity to work with children throughout the parish in both parochial and public school settings.
She retired from the Acadia Parish School Board and from then on enjoyed her time traveling with her husband, Clark, attending her weekly bridge groups and Monday Ladies’ luncheons, playing dominoes with her dear childhood friends, tending to her flowers and caring for her Persian cat, Foo Foo. She continued to enjoy gatherings with her 1947 graduating classmates on a monthly basis.
Gloria was a life-long, committed and generous parishioner of the First Presbyterian Church of Crowley and served as treasurer of the Women’s Circle Group until her health no longer allowed her to do so.
Left to honor her memory are her son, Harold Jeffrey Lyons and fiancée Jodie Fortenberry of New Iberia; her daughter, Claudia Lyons Foster and husband Don of Athens, Texas; three grandchildren, Ashley Hockaday Foster, Donald Dunman Foster and Jeffrey Austin Lyons; stepdaughter, Cathy Gray Richard; two stepsons, Clark Gray Jr. and Earl Powell Gray; and a host of step-grandchildren, great-grandchildren, nieces and nephews.
She is preceded in death by her parents; her husband of 30 years, Lloyd Clark Gray Sr.; one infant son; two sisters, Patty B. Nugent and Beverly Ann Ducrest; her stepdaughter, Donita Gray Burton; and step grandson, Frank Allen Richard
Active pallbearers will include Dunman Foster, Austin Lyons, Luke Dupre, Jim Barry, William Nugent and Jeremy Burton.
Honorary pallbearers will include Don Foster, Kevin Freeland, Adam Dupre, Bo Gibson, Allen Richard, Gilbert Waldrep, Jimmy Landry and Judson Van Fossen.
In lieu of flowers the family is requesting donations be made to First Presbyterian Church, 321 E. Fourth St., Crowley, LA 70526
Condolences may be sent to the family at www.geesey-ferguson.com
Arrangements have been entrusted to Geesey-Ferguson Funeral Home Inc. of Crowley.