Eva B Sanders

Eva was born in Inez, Texas in 1933, one of eight siblings of the late Marguerite Eustace Becker and Julius Becker. She endured some hardship in her early life as the family struggled through the Depression. Her mother, Marguerite, was the anchor of the family and a paragon of grace and good humor in the face of adversity. She was full of aphorisms; one of her favorites was “Anyone can get married – if you set your standards low enough.” This humor became a hallmark of the family that lasted them their entire lives, none more so than Eva.

The Beckers eventually settled in Corpus Christi, Texas, where Eva spent most of her youth and early adulthood. The seventh of eight children, Eva was known for her wit and her grit. Two of her favorite sayings were “Be like the Hindu, and do the best you can do” and “All work is honorable.” She attended W. B. Ray High School and eventually was employed by the Corpus Christi Caller-Times, first as a teletype setter and later as manager of Classifieds. During this time her children were born. She eventually left the Caller-Times and worked for many years as a legal secretary.

After a divorce, Eva met Ray Sanders, the love of her life, and moved to Houston, Texas. She worked as a legal secretary and then as office manager of her husband’s petroleum engineering firm, RSE, Inc. Eva loved the hustle and bustle of the big city and, especially, the shopping opportunities. She and Ray were renowned as hosts, throwing many an elaborate party. Her cooking, self-styled, was remarkable, and exhibited the best aspects of Southern and Southwestern cuisine. No one ever went home hungry from one of their barbecues. But, more than anything, Eva was a devoted grandmother who lavished time and affection on her grandchildren. So her home was always full of warmth, good humor, and love.

After Ray’s death, Eva moved to New Orleans, Louisiana, to live with her sister, Jo, and Jo’s husband, Fritz. Much like Eva’s Houston home, Jo’s was full of warmth, laughter, and great food, and was a cultural center for the Algiers Point neighborhood. Except for missing Ray, this was perhaps the most enjoyable part of her entire life. She especially loved crossword puzzles and card games, both of which were staples of this household. Her cookies were the pride of the neighborhood. No one could imagine a better place to grow old, and they did so happily until their times came, as they must.

Eva was preceded in death by her son, Andrew Neal Lambeth, her husband, Ray P. Sanders, Jr, and her siblings, Tina Becker, Julius (Hootie) Becker, Helen Becker Easley, Lorene Becker Stubbs, Billy Joe Becker, and Josephine (Jo) Becker Harsdorff. Eva is survived by her brother, Carl Eustace Becker and wife, Nancy; sister-in-law Liz Becker; her children, Dan Allen Lambeth and wife, Susan, and Jami Lambeth Ayala; her grandchildren, Joshua Shawn Ayala and wife, Darla, Chace Michael Ayala, Brittany Elizabeth Ayala, Tara Becker Lambeth and husband, Sam Gill, Morganna Faye Lambeth and husband, Chad Montgomery, and Skyla Winn Lambeth and husband, Jesse Greenberg; her great-grandchilden, Corissa Marie Ayala and Jayson Campbell, Joshua Shawn Ayala, Jr, Myriana Ray Ayala, Aiden Shawn Ayala, and Avery Ray Ayala; and her great-great-grandchildren, Dominic Joseph Agudelo and Kain Jimmy Campbell.

Family and friends are invited to attend a service to celebrate her life on April 24, 2022, 10:00 AM, at Forest Park Westheimer Funeral Home, 12800 Westheimer Road, Houston, Texas 77077.