Thyra (Gray) Cathey

Funeral services for Thyra Cathey, 87, of Portales will be held at 10:00 AM, Sat., July 2, 2022 in the Wheeler Mortuary Chapel with Rev. Zach Cathey officiating.  Burial will follow in the Portales Cemetery with Julian Stokes, Matt Stokes, Kevin Hardin, Eric Cathey, Nathan Cathey and Zach Cathey serving as pallbearers.

Thyra Cathey was born Dec. 8, 1934 in Ramon, NM to the home of Noreen (Powell) and James Houston Gray, and died at her home in Portales on the evening of June 28, 2022.  The family moved to Portales when Thyra was three years old.  She was a 1953 graduate of Portales High School.  She was working at the local movie theater when she met James Cathey.  She was employed briefly as a proof reader for the Portales News Tribune before taking a job as a bank teller.  On Aug. 18, 1954 in Pep, NM she was married to James Cathey, and they moved to Fort Worth, TX for a short time before joining James’ brother in California.  After a year or so, they returned to Portales to make their home.  In the later 1960’s and early 1970’s Thyra worked in the school cafeteria at Steiner Elementary School.

Thyra loved music, especially recordings by Elvis Presley and Wayland Jennings.  She was a big movie buff and enjoyed knowing about the stars and their lives.  She was an avid walker, and had literally walked all over the town.  Her grandchildren loved walking with her.  She was an excellent cook, and she along with her husband always prepared big feasts for the entire family at Thanksgiving and Christmas.

She is survived by two sons and daughters-in-law, Donny and Debbie Cathey and Brian and Rene Cathey and a daughter, Le Ann McGee all of Portales; eight grandchildren, Jerrod (Jordan) Hardin, Kevin Hardin, Amber (Matt) Stokes, Zach (Tasha) Cathey, Eric (Sharon Cathey, Tasha Cathey and her fiancé, Ryan Cox, Steven (Candice) Cathey and Nathan Cathey; and a brother, Birl Gray of Portales.  She was preceded in death by her parents, two brothers, Wayman Gray and Norman, who died as a small child, three sisters, Juanita Terry, Pauline Stark and June Netzel, a grandson, Matthew Brian Cathey who died in 1996 and by James Cathey, her husband of over 66 years.

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