Gail Terry

Gail Doris (Richter) Terry, 64, of Dallas, TX, passed away on November 17, 2016. Her life was lost to cancer while at home under the care of hospice with her sister Ann and daughter Amber. The memorial service will take place at the Sparkman-Crane Funeral home at 10501 Garland Rd, Dallas, TX 75218, at 1PM on Saturday January 7. Born in November of 1951 to Bennie and Dorothy Richter of Richmond, Texas, Gail was the eldest of three. She grew up in Richmond with her sister Ann and brother Paul. Gail graduated in the top 10% of Lamar High in 1970 and married later that year and started a family shortly thereafter. Her son Joe was born in 1973 and her daughter Amber in 1977. During this time she had several moves with her family including Missouri and Florida. Gail’s family later transferred back to Texas. She resided in Bedford TX from 1981 through 2014 then moved to Dallas to be near her daughter. Gail Terry should have owned stock in the Container store and Office Depot! She just loved to have everything labeled, sorted and organized in everything she did in life. There weren’t many things that she did that she did not execute to perfection; she was a true ‘super mom’ that was there for every important event, the late night homework sessions, and all of the scraped knees and sniffles. She enjoyed sewing, landscaping, bargain hunting, family vacations (especially the beach!), playing bridge with friends, decorating and DIY projects around the house. She had recently attended her granddaughter Brenna’s graduation in Michigan, whom she was very proud of. Prior to entering the workforce from 1985 to 1990, while raising a family she was heavily involved with volunteer efforts. She volunteered full time at the local churches she attended, city and school library, the Bedford Beautification committee, and many positions within the PTA including President. She received “Volunteer of the Year” award from the City of Bedford in 1989 and was presented with both Texas and National PTA honorary life memberships for her service. Gail began her career in 1991, starting as a temp administrative assistant and worked hard to advance to Executive Secretary, she was one heck of a fast typer! She continued her education to receive her Paralegal Certificate in 1995, graduating Summa Cum Laude. She was a well-regarded executive assistant and paralegal for Intellectual Property at GTE/Verizon, earning the “Legal Assistant of the Year” award in 1995, a remarkable accomplishment. A few years later, Gail was disabled by Meniere’s disease, a vertigo disorder which greatly impacted the quality of her life for her remaining life, in addition to several other autoimmune disorders. Gail is predeceased by her father Bennie Richter. She is survived by her mother Dorothy Richter, her son Joseph E. Terry IV and his wife Kathy, her daughter Amber Terry, sister Ann (Richter) Reed, brother Paul Richter, granddaughter Brenna Terry, father of her children Joseph E. Terry III, as well as many loving friends and extended family members.In lieu of flowers, please consider sending a donation to the Vestibular Disorders Association on her behalf at https://vestibular.org. The family wishes to extend their gratitude to the Encompass Hospice and caregiver Mimi for their support in her final days, as well as the caring neighbors, friends, and family that attended to her with thoughtfulness and compassion. Many thanks to Dr. Stephen Bindner, RN Kristina, Dr. Chouteau, and Dr. Kang for their care during her illnesses. Parting words from one of Gail’s favorite poems, “Life” by William Arthur Ward: “Life is not so much — A fight to be fought, A game to be played, A race to be run, A prize to be snared. It is more nearly — God’s will to be sought, A course to be laid, A work to be done, A gift to be shared”