Lawrence Gray Barbee

A native and proud Houstonian, Lawrence was born on January 26, 1952. He graduated from Lee High School in 1970. Lawrence attended Central Texas College in Killeen. He went on to earn a B.A. degree in Political Science from the University of St. Thomas, where he met his devoted wife of 45 years, Ann Lenore Todaro, in Philosophy class. He worked as a court clerk for several Harris County District Courts, and in the real estate and insurance industries. Lawrence enjoyed dancing with Ann, playing chess, listening to music, singing, and playing the guitar. He had a deep and lifelong love of animals, especially his trusty dachshund, Hubert. Lawrence’s greatest joy was raising his daughters.

Lawrence was preceded in death by his parents, Robert L. Barbee and Frances Ward Harper. He is survived by his wife, Ann Lenore Barbee; daughters Bernadette Ann Barbee and Jo Ann Lucia Cresap; son-in-law Patrick Edward Cresap; granddaughters Madeleine Ann Cresap and Rosalie Michelle Cresap; his nephew Ward Richardson of Greenville, South Carolina and wife April Richardson, and their sons Brian and Liam. Lawrence is also survived by his sisters Cecilia Barbee and Celestial Barbee.

A Funeral Mass will be celebrated on June 24, 2020, at 10 o’clock in the morning at St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, 6800 Buffalo Speedway, Houston, Texas 77025. Pallbearers are Mitch Fangman, Eric Kirkpatrick, and Christopher Roberts. Honorary pallbearers are Vincent Filippone, Reverend Jim Hamilton, Captain Roy Jordan, Ret., Gregory Lucia, Joseph Lucia, Jr., Tommy Padgett, and Ward Richardson. A private Rite of Committal for the family will be held at Glenwood Cemetery.

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AN IRISH FUNERAL PRAYER

Death is nothing at all.

It does not count.

I have only slipped away into the next room.

Everything remains as it was.

The old life that we lived so fondly together is untouched, unchanged.

Whatever we were to each other, that we are still.

Call me by the old familiar name.

Speak of me in the easy way which you always used.

Put no sorrow in your tone.

Laugh as we always laughed at the little jokes that we enjoyed together.

Play, smile, think of me, pray for me.

Let my name be ever the household word that it always was.

Let it be spoken without effort

Life means all that it ever meant. It is the same as it ever was.

There is unbroken continuity.

Why should I be out of mind because I am out of sight?

I am but waiting for you, for an interval, somewhere very near, just around the corner.

All is well. Nothing is hurt; nothing is lost.

One brief moment and all will be as it was before.

How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting, when we meet again.