Sarah Grafford Gamble

Gamble, Sarah Lou Grafford, age 91, of Dallas, Texas, passed away on August 21, 2017 at the Legacy at Willow Bend in Plano TX. She was born on October 28, 1925 in Centralia, Missouri to her parents Samuel Jesse and Martha Ann Collins Grafford. The family moved to Dallas when she was 12 years old. Sarah met her husband Paul Pate Gamble at Sunset High School in Dallas and after his service in World War II, they married in Dallas on February 8, 1947. They had three children, two grandchildren and one great granddaughter. Sarah was preceded in death by her loving husband Paul and is fondly remembered by their children: David Gamble and his wife Donna of Plano and their children Brian Gamble and his fiancée, Kelli Vance of Houston, and Kelly Gamble Mills and her husband Robbie Mills and their daughter Elise of Richardson, TX; Mark Gamble of Maitland, FL; and, Janet Gamble of Vienna, VA: as well as her sister, Anita Hartsfield of Corsicana, TX, sister-in-law Yvonne Gamble of Plano, TX, and numerous other extended family members.

When they married, Sarah joined Paul as a member at City Temple Presbyterian Church in downtown Dallas and moved with the church to its location in North Dallas in 1962. Sarah was a devoted member of the NorthPark Presbyterian Church where she served as an elder, a deacon, and a Stephen Minister. Through the years, Sarah participated in the Sunbonnet Lou Garden Club, the MLA Book Club, and in delivering Meals on Wheels.

Sarah loved people and loved to entertain. She was the consummate hostess with a special knack for preparing delicious meals and welcoming family and friends to the table. She and Paul were members of two couples’s bridge clubs that met monthly for more than 40 years. Sarah and Paul also enjoyed music and theatre performances and were regulars at the Dallas Summer Musicals, the Dallas Symphony Orchestra, the Dallas Theatre Center, and Theatre Three.

Sarah often said “I am happiest when the wheels are turning.” She and Paul travelled widely in the U.S. and abroad across Europe. Through the years, Sarah and Paul and their family and friends frequently visited the YMCA of the Rockies in Estes Park, CO. After Paul’s death, Sarah travelled with friends to Morocco, Egypt, Turkey, and China. In more recent years, Sarah and Janet kept the wheels turning on many road trips, with many treasured memories along the way.

Family and friends are invited to a celebration of life for Sarah at 2:00 pm, Thursday, August 31, at the NorthPark Presbyterian Church. There will be a reception at the church following the memorial service.

The family sincerely thanks the many caregivers at Presbyterian Village North and Legacy at Willow Bend who provided care and support to Sarah. Memorial gifts in Sarah’s name may be made to NorthPark